Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 8.
This simple quick meditation was shared on www.mindbodygreen.com by a clinical psychotherapist in New York.
No preparation required. You don't even need to sit down or close your eyes. You can do this simple technique anywhere, even in a crowded elevator, eyes open. In fact, keeping the eyes open helps you to practice finding your calm and center. No one around you will notice that you are doing anything special except not talking.
Here's the technique:
1. As you stand or sit wherever you are, bring all your awareness to your breath. Shift your focus down to the belly and allow the belly to soften as you deepen your breath.
2. Now mentally repeat to yourself, "Breathing In, I calm myself. Breathing out, I smile." Say this like a mantra as many times as you need until you feel the shift.
3. Notice the corners of your mouth begin to curl, even if just a tiny little bit, even if you have to pretend. Notice how your breath becomes a bit more even and deep. The subtle smile brings relaxation and carries the message "all will be OK" to your mind and body.
4. That's it! So simple and quick. It might not even take a minute. In fact, the more you do it, the more practiced you will become. In a short time, the opening intention to bring your awareness to your breath and shift your focus to your belly will make the relaxation come that much quicker. Try it and feel free.
This technique is actually a variation on mindfulness meditation. You can do this without the mantra; however, for many people mantras help them focus their awareness. It is equally effective without the mantra. Or, you can vary the words you speak in so many ways so that they best communicate to your subconscious mind.
Another variation is to use the focused breathing to release parts of your body where the tension has caused tightness or even pain. People carry their tension in different places. For some, it is their eyes and forehead. For others, it is their shoulders. Still others carry most of their tension in their abdomen. When you feel a lot of tension in your body, bring your awareness to that place of tension. If, for example, you feel tension in your shoulders, mentally say, "I am aware I have tension in my shoulders." Then mentally repeat, "Breathing in, I am aware of this tension in my physical body. Breathing out, I relax this tension."
So simple. So effective. Why not try it right now. Do it often during the day as the stress builds up.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 9.
Every morning you wake up, and similar to over 95% of the U.S. population, before going to the restroom or even saying good morning to your spouse, you perform a select behavior, not typified of people 40 years ago. That is, you check your cell phone for calls, texts, emails, and other communication. Indeed, cell phones have become a definitive part of our culture.
We have expanded how we use cell phones, encompassing their use not only for communication, but for ordering food, setting up schedules, checking weather, logging activities, and many other uses. As cell phones enhance our lives and make our lives efficient, they must similarly be viewed not only as a tool, but as a device that has implications.
Fifty years ago, the government, psychologists, and human development specialists were concerned and worried about the effects of television on human development. Several proposed that television would reduce children’s likelihood to play, promoting obesity, and also offer an increased influence over childhood cognitive development, as children’s minds may be influenced by what they saw on television.
Today, these same concerns apply to cell phones.
Cell phones have changed how children communicate, incorporating emoji images and texts messages into daily communication mediums. “Meeting up” has been replaced with FaceTime and synchronous texting. The daily demand to meet face-to-face to establish relationships, solve problems, and enhance rapport represents a secondary alternative to purely electronic transmittals.
Definitively, cell phone use has affected how children learn. E- books have replaced paper books. Pen-and-paper tests replaced online exams. Internet searches have replaced gathering a pocketful of nickels and heading to the library to copy an article. However, children are able gather information quickly,
check for spelling and grammar easily, and assess for plagiarism problems more easily than the past.
Even parenting is affected: A fourth of household accidents relate to parental cell phone use and concurrent failure to monitor children.
Consider the features that most often accompany addiction for substances, such as the need to obtain a substance, increasing amount of substance needed to become satiated, and loss or replacement of socialization, all revealing concurrent feelings perhaps attributable with cell phone use. Consider the circumstance, in which your cell phone is lost—you most likely become agitated, your blood pressure will rise, you become irritable, you stop all activities until your cell phone is found or replaced. Cell phone addiction represents a real behavioral concern, representing an area of research focus among numerous cognitive and clinical psychologists today.
Time will dictate how these new communication patterns will affect relationships, development and conflict resolution.
Perhaps the most frequently considered effect of cell phone use on day-to-day life is how cell phones distract us from our daily lives. Defined, distraction refers to something that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.
Researchers have examined effects of cell phone use on distracted walking. Greater than 1,000 accident happen annually that are associated with individuals failing to pay attention to their environment while walking. The Pew Research Center reports that 53 percent of adult cell phone users have directly fallen or been pushed by a distracted walker.
While distracted walking represents an area of concern, cell phone use while driving represents a momentous public health concern. Statistically, based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 10 percent of all drivers aged 15-90 were distracted at the time of a reported fatal crash. Moreover, the frequency of these risky behaviors is not decreasing. The NHTSA reports that the percentage of drivers texting or manipulating their hand-held devices increased from 1.7 percent in 2013, to 2.2 percent in 2014. Considering a .05 percent increase every years, NHTSA data suggests that it is estimated that about 4% of drivers aged 16 to 24 are texting while driving.
Local research suggests these estimates are low. Research completed at our Forensic Cognition Laboratory, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL), shows that 35 percent of younger drivers report to using a cell phone while driving.
However, research shows that this number is still perhaps even greater. Research Assistant, Ms. Lauren Short, and I are examining and comparing perceived versus observed cell phone use while driving among college students. We placed dashcam cameras in students’ cars to observe actual driving by students. Preliminary data suggest that 95 percent of the participants use their cell phone while driving, at least on an occasional basis. Moreover, preliminary data suggests that while driving approximately 15 percent of the time driving, or nine minutes out of every 60 minutes driving, is associated to cell phone distraction.
Does a quick text or answering an important call really make a difference? Yes, very much so. Consider the distance that a car travels while you return the simple text. A vehicle travels the length of a football field in five seconds. Checking a text message equates 15 seconds, or traveling three football fields, blindfolded.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness month, offering an opportunity for not only the general public, but also
psychologists and others in our field to consider how cell phone distraction affects human behavior across a variety are areas, such as development, cognitive, social, and others.
One valuable resource is the Forensic Cognition Laboratory at ULL Lafayette. The lab evaluates not only how cell phone distraction affects driving behavior, but also learning, parenting, and socialization.
Cell phones represent a technological advancement, perhaps equitable to fire or the wheel. While it has enhanced our lives, we must similarly be aware that it offers a distraction, limiting our ability to perform daily tasks and behaviors. As specialists in human behavior, we must be aware of the potential for addiction and also impaired parenting, communication, task-behavior, parenting and relating.
April offers an opportunity to remind ourselves and perhaps others of the encompassing effects of cell phone usage.
[Editor’s Note: Dr. Smith, along with his lab researchers, has authored Cell Phone Distraction, Human Factors, and Litigation, published by Judges and Lawyers Publishing. Cell Phone Distraction addresses a wide variety of topics on this topic and has been vetted by a variety of law libraries, including, Yale, Texas A & M, and Standford, and also internationally, becoming incorporated into law libraries in both Singapore and Malaysia. Dr. Smith can be reached at Theodore S. Smith, tss1065@louisiana.edu)]
Dr. Scott Smith
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This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 11.
Dr. Scott Smith, originally from Shreveport, earned his doctorate from Texas A&M. He has lived in Lafayette for about 20 years with his wife, a Nurse Administrator, and two children, one who is in high school and the other is a freshman at Louisiana Tech. Smith’s background is in Educational Psychology and he is currently Assistant Professor at University of Louisiana Lafayette where he teaches several courses, including a graduate level course in professional ethics. He has authored, Cell Phone Distraction, Human Factors, and Litigation, published by Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company, a company focusing on litigation-based publications, in 2016.
Dr. Smith also directs the Forensic Cognition Laboratory at the University. “I primarily concentrate on how cognition applies to the courts,” said Smith, “such as eyewitness testimony, judicial decision-making, memory, and other aspects. I also focus on reasons why students with disabilities fail or are successful with education. Lastly, I am completing research with a graduate student on head injury protocols for athletes, with a particular emphasis on high school athletes.
He has about five students in his lab currently, including Lauren Short, who is particularly knowledgeable about this topic, he said. “I am attempting to create another generation of researchers with skills and knowledge about this topic.”
How did Dr. Smith become interested in cell phone distraction? “About six years ago, I was teaching a class, and a student, in which I knew was failing the class, was always on their cell phone during class. I asked the student to put up their phone and the student, bluntly and rudely, asked, ‘Do you really know if cell phone use limits my ability to pay attention to your lecture?’ I stated humbly, ‘No.’ After that, I completed a study, later published in CyberPsychology, on the effects of verbal cell phone use and texting on both true and false memory for learning.”
Smith and his team looked at two types of memory. “First, there is true memory, or your memory for events that really happened,” he said. “Second, I looked at false memory, or memory for events that did not happen, such as additions, deletions, and confabulations. What did I find? Cell phone distraction affects true and false memory very differently. Persons on their phone or texting have poorer true memory in comparison to persons without distraction. In contrast, false memory is greater in distracted persons than persons that are not distracted. Essentially, if distracted, you tend to recall fewer true details, and recall more details that are false.
How has his book, Cell Phone Distraction, Human Factors, and Litigation, been received? “I feel it has been received very well,” Smith said. “It has been vetted in law libraries across the Nation, including Yale, Baylor, Texas A & M and others. Additionally, it has been placed in libraries in Asia. Furthermore, it has good sales. It reached #2 in the Personal Injury, Law category on Amazon.”
Related to cell phone distraction, what does he think people least understand about the effects of cell phone use? “First, people do not realize how cell phone use affects their socialization, particularly in comparison to the past,” he said. “People often today forego face-to-face communication to send a post on Facebook or offer multiple texts. This affects the ability for people to practice negotiation and the ability to establish rapport.”
“Second, people do not realize how cell phone use affects learning, particularly learning processes. The days of traditional hard and soft cover books is quickly ending,” he said. “Libraries are getting away from holding books, to places for people to access computers. For young children, and even today’s college students, study materials are accessed through their cell phone, and tests similar through the same format. Information can be accessed quicker from the Internet. There is a concern that information may not be processed deeper, considering past learning styles.”
“Third, alongside the last discussion, cell phones in my prediction affect our ability to suspend award or accept that time is needed to process information. Cell phones enable us to demand immediate feedback through texts or calls or emails. Learning itself demands consolidation. And, personal communication requires processing time. Cell phones dissuade these natural processes.
Fourth, while cell phones are beneficial, they obviously are distracting. They affect walking, with many accidents having an origin with both walking and using a cell phone. Also, obviously, they particularly affect our ability to drive. David Strayer, a researcher out of the University of Utah, equates cell phone use to drunk driving. In my opinion, this represents an accurate depiction.”
What are some of the misperceptions people have about cell phone distraction
and driving? “First, people think that they are excellent dual taskers. Humans have limits regarding their ability to process information. People may “get by” dual tasking, or using their cell phones and driving, but their ability to perform both is indeed equivalent to a drunk driver assuming that he is able to drink and drive.”
“Second, people think hands-free phones solve the problem, or that ear buds or speakerphones equate to distraction free driving. This is false. Driving requires touch or haptic, visual, and cognitive demands. Speakerphones may reduce haptic demands, but there still is the attentional demand. The attentional demand through cell phone use reduces the ability to make critical thinking decisions. It increases reaction time. It also prompts a series of dangerous behaviors, such as following too close, frequent breaking and inconsistent speed.”
Should we try and eliminate cell phones? “No. That is not reasonable,” he said. “They enable us to communicate, access information, and keep in touch with the world. However, any tool must be used wisely.”
Dr. Smith notes that the research is mixed when it comes to legislation. “Some studies show that states with strict restrictions result in fewer cell phone related accidents and other students have failed to show any differences pre- and post-legislation.”
What has been effective? “Research has shown that educational interventions have been effective, particularly if focused towards children and young adults less than 25. Public awareness, followed by educational interventions have showed some success.
“The cell phone will not fade away. However, as a tool, people must critically evaluate when it is okay and not okay to use this tool.”
The National Safety Council sees the most dramatic increase in auto deaths in 53 years.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 12.
Manchester by the Sea is not a chick flic. It is a dark story with sparse flashes of humor that serve to highlight the essential darkness. It pivots on issues of male bonding. Of the females portrayed, the one that provides the most gratification to the men in the story is a fishing boat, the Claudia Marie.
The movie opens with the central character, Lee Chandler, struggling to unclog a toilet for an impatient woman occupant of the building in Boston where he is the janitor. Lee goes on to deal with a plumbing crisis in another apartment whose snarky tenant provokes Lee’s ire, leading to a consequent rebuke from his employer. The emphasis on cleaning up messes is a signal that anger, in Freudian terms an anal issue, will be key in the film.
The next day, Lee learns that his brother, Joe, in nearby Manchester is gravely ill. Before Lee can get to the hospital, Joe dies. We see Lee’s farewell kiss on his brother’s cold cheek. Lee goes on to search for Joe’s son, Patrick, and his breaking the news of his father’s death to the teenager. In another reference to anger, when Lee finds Patrick the boy is embroiled in a hockey rink exchange of fisticuffs.
A tangled, hard-to-follow series of flashbacks provide context. Earlier, living in Manchester, Lee’s drunken carelessness caused a house fire in which his two young children died. When the police decide that Lee will not be charged, he seizes an officer’s gun and attempts suicide. It requires several officers to restrain him.
In other flashbacks, we learn that Lee’s embittered wife, Randi, left him and remarried. We also learn that the initial
diagnosis of Joe’s cardiac problems had panicked his wife, Elise, who deserted him and their son, Patrick.
In the main story line, Lee learns that his brother’s will designates him as Patrick’s guardian. Lee and Patrick try to become reacquainted and to resolve complications. One focus of their struggle is where to live. The boy does not want to leave Manchester and his hometown friends. On the other hand, Lee feels like an outcast in Manchester and wants to return to Boston where he has no past.
Another fraught issue is what to do with the Claudia Marie, an old fishing boat has taken generations of Chandlers on all male fishing expeditions, now decrepit and in need of expensive repairs. Lee cannot see a way of paying for them; Patrick is adamant about keeping the boat.
Patrick persuades Lee to abet him in his sexual adventures with high school girlfriends. The single mother of one of the girls tries unsuccessfully to arouse Lee’s interest. Her awkward efforts and the teenagers’ clumsy, error prone sexual scrambles provide comic relief. Additional comic relief flickers when Patrick’s mother invites her son to dinner. The hyper-religious new husband is markedly unenthusiastic about acquiring a son.
In poignant contrast to these humorous elements, Lee’s former wife, newly pregnant, accidentally encounters him and attempts to apologize for her initial lack of forgiveness. Lee cannot accept the tenderness. He responds with mute avoidance.
In another meaningful scene, one that echoes with the movie’s opening, we see Lee, alone and feeling misunderstood, having a drink in a bar. He thinks one of the locals is staring at him and provokes a fight that leaves him bruised and battered.
The focus returns to the Claudia Marie. To Patrick’s delight, Lee realizes that his brother’s collection of expensive rifles can be sold to raise the money to repair the boat. Lee also persuades an old friend in Manchester to adopt Patrick, permitting the boy to finish high school in Manchester and freeing Lee to leave town. Patrick, grown fond of his surrogate dad, tearfully asks why Lee can’t stay. Lee confesses that he “can’t beat it”—can’t find a way to accept closeness. The movie ends with Lee and Patrick fishing on the refurbished boat. Lee tells his nephew that he will look for a new apartment with a guest bedroom, hinting at the possibility of a relationship, albeit an attenuated one.
Manchester by the Sea is remarkable in its depiction of male bonding, of the kind of tenderness than can exist between men. In contrast, it is unremitting in its depiction of flawed women. That misogyny made me wonder.
The movie clearly stresses the connection between Lee’s angry outbursts and his depression. His self-hate like all depression, is self-directed anger.
Guest Columnist, Dr. Alvin Burstein
c o u r t e s y p h o t o
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 17.
Dr. John Pickering, organizer of the Baton Rouge based Mindfulness Day workshop, presented in conjunction with Thay Dao Quang and the Tam Bao Buddhist Temple, declared the recent April gathering one of the largest turnouts and especially of psychologists he’s seen.
“This was the biggest turn-out of psychologists we’ve had in our eight years of doing the workshop,” Dr. Pickering noted.
The Tam Bao Buddhist Temple and the Meditation Hall in Baton Rouge is the location for the day long workshop every year, usually in April. Like this year, the event is attended by social workers, counselors, and others in the broader community.
Dr. Emily Sandoz and Mr. Corey Porche were presenters for this year’s seminar, along with Thay Dao Quang.
Dr. Sandoz is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at the Psychology Department, University of Louisiana, Lafayette. She is an expert in ACT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She presented on “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Shaping Psychological Flexibility for Mindful, Meaningful Living.”
She presented at last year’s Mindfulness Day, and has co-authored three books on ACT, along with having written numerous chapters and journal articles on the topic. Sandoz has led more than 40 professional training workshops around the world on ACT concepts.
Mr. Porche is a Licensed Professional Counselor who also holds a master’s degree in Interpersonal/ Organizational Communication, is co-owner of Camilia House Counseling and Educational Services where he employs ACT in his work with couples, dyads and families. He has lead and co-led
professional trainings in ACT both locally and internationally since 2011.
Attendee Dr. Richard Flicker captured the rare event with a photo. “I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to round up a group of psychologists for a photo––of course you have, but after several aborted attempts––there was always someone in the bathroom, talking away from the location, getting something to eat/drink, etc., I was able to gather every last one of them for a group photo.”
Attendees at the Annual Mindfulness Day, Saturday, April 1, in Baton Rouge held at the Tam Bao Buddhist Temple. Front Row (L to R): Dr. Christiane Creveling-Benefield, presenter Dr. Emily Sandoz, Dr. Gail Gillespie and Dr. Charles Burchell Second Row (L to R): Presenter Corey Porche, Dr. Sumer Ledet, Dr. John Pickering, Dr. David Weibel, presenter Thay Dao Quang and Dr. Jeanne George. Back Row (L to R): Dr. Richard Flicker, Dr. Randy Lemoine and Dr. John Brun. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Flicker.)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 17.
The Legislative Oversight Committee of the Psychology Board posted a notice on Friday, March 31, in the afternoon announcing it would meet on Monday, April 3, at 3:00 pm.
The agenda noted that the group, Dr. Darla Burnett and Dr. Jesse Lambert, would address these topics:
“Review and Discuss SB 37 MARTINY – Relative to the Louisiana Psychological Associations concerns and potential amendments.
“Review and Discuss SB 38 MORRELL – Relative to potential concerns regarding privileges for Licensed Professional Counselors to perform psychological testing and diagnose severe mental health disorders.
“Review SB 75 MILLS – Relative to potential concerns regarding the Board’s continued autonomy and ability to carry out the adjudication functions in a fiscally responsible and timely manner.
Review and discuss other proposed legislation impacting state boards, mental health issues and the practice of psychology.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Dr. Tracey Rizzuto, Associate Director, School of Human Resource Education & Workforce Development, spoke about the differences made for the community by her work in the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) on Capital Hill, on March 22. She
spoke at the invitation of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). She said that she was asked to “speak to examples of well-invested federally funded research grant that have made a difference in a high-need community.”
Dr. Rizzuto, Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, is also Mary Ethel Baxter Lipscomb Memorial Endowed Professor of Human Resource, Leadership, & Organization Development.
“With all of the tumult we've had in 2016 –officer-related shootings, civil unrest and an historic flood,” she said, “violent crime in Baton Rouge has miraculously remained down!”
“It was an honor to be able to report back to the BJA about the successes of the violence reduction strategies they've supported over the years to help reduce violence, like BRAVE, the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Hope Zone initiative, and the LSU Career, Leadership and Wellness summer youth program,” Rizzuto said.
The Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) initiative works to reduce and eliminate violent crime committed by juveniles in Baton Rouge’s 70805 and 70802 zip code areas.
Rizzuto is part of BRAVE’s LSU Research Team led by the College of Human Sciences & Education’s Office of Social Service Research & Development. The LSU group analyzes arrest data from the Baton Rouge Police Department and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and then helps identify trends and group members who are committing the most crimes.
Dr. Rizzuto uses social network analysis to examine social structures and dynamics, one of her interests as an IO psychologist and professor. Her other interests include the development of social capital and capacity through technological tools; the development of social capital and capacity through social relationships, such as the power and influence social network structures; and managing workplace changes.
Rizzuto was featured last year in a select group of scientists and professionals who shared their work and insights at the TEDxLSU event, where she spoke on her work as a psychologist and academic researcher for BRAVE. Her efforts and those of others have combined to reduce the crime rates in two, high crime Baton Rouge areas, by 30 percent. In December 2015, Rizzuo and Hillar Moore, III, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney, traveled to New York City at the invitation of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, to give a presentation about the work at BRAVE.
Right: Dr. Rizzuto (L) and DOJ Sr. Policy Advisor Alissa Huntoon. (Courtesy photo.)
Dr. Sunyoung Park, Assistant Professor at the LSU School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development, listens to colleague, Assistant Professor Tyree Mitchell, as they discuss Dr. Rizzuto’s trip to Capital Hill. In background, Rizzuto and others are listed in distinguished faculty awards. Drs. Park, Mitchell and Rizzuto are industrial-organizational professors at the School.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 18.
Jack A. Naglieri, Ph.D., Research Professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, Senior Research Scientist at the Devereux Center for Resilient Children, and Emeritus Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, will present a workshop on Saturday, June 3, as part of the Louisiana Psychological Association’s Annual Conference, to be held at the Doubletree in Kenner, near the New Orleans airport.
Dr. Naglieri is a well-known teacher, researcher, and test developer. Dr. Naglieri is the author or co-author of more than 300 scholarly papers, books, and tests. His scholarly research includes investigations related to topics such as intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, giftedness, and Attention Deficit Disorder.
In this presentation Dr. Naglieri will describe a five-dimensional model of executive function (EF); intelligence (e.g., CAS2), observable behaviors (e.g., CEFI), social-emotional skills (e.g., DESSA); academic achievement (e.g., FAR); and impairment (e.g., RSI).
The session will include a discussion of the theory, assessment, and research relevance of tools that can be used to form a comprehensive assessment of Executive Functioning across these dimensions and a way to measure the amount of impairment an EF weakness creates. Benefits include a broad view of EF that can be used to guide assessment and improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional skills.
This presentation is designed to help participants learn about the historical, theoretical history of executive function as a major force in the evolution of the human species.
Naglieri’s work includes psychometric studies of tests such as the Wechsler Scales of Intelligence, Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, Cognitive Assessment System, and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children; examination of race, gender, and ethnic differences in cognitive processing.
He has studied fair assessment using nonverbal and cognitive processing tests; identification of gifted minorities, IDEA and identification of specific learning disabilities; and cognitively based academic interventions.
He has authored various books, including Essentials of CAS Assessment (Naglieri, 1999), and co-authored other books including Assessment of Cognitive Processes: The PASS Theory of Intelligence (Das, Naglieri, & Kirby, 1994), Helping Children Learn: Intervention Handouts for Use at School and Home (Naglieri & Pickering, 2003), Essentials of WNV Assessment (Brunnert, Naglieri, & Hardy-Braz, 2009), and Helping All Gifted Children Learn: A Teacher’s Guide to Using the NNAT2 (Naglieri, Brulles, & Lansdowne, 2009.
This year’s conference theme is “The Evolving Role of Today’s Psychologist,” and includes presentations by distinguished psychologists and psychological scientists from around the state.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 2.
In the 1960s, when I was about ten, my father, the editor/publisher of a weekly newspaper, took on the KKK in what was surely the poorest, most backward place in God’s green creation– Red River Parish. It was a long battle with lots of skirmishes.
One evening, just after dark, the family was sitting at the table, finishing supper and as was typical, my father was talking and everyone else was listening. My mother and father, both journalists in a small, sleepy little parish, always focused on the human dramas that unfolded in this rural community, the people, the society, the news. This night was no different.
We all sat in front of the three large windows finishing dinner, and I was listening. Then, a small light flickered in the middle of our large, night- shrouded yard caught my attention. I squinted. Then squinted again. Finally I pointed to interrupt my father, and asked, “What is that?”
Everyone at the table turned to look, as the light grew larger and we all saw it. In the middle of the yard was a burning cross. Not just any cross, but one of those famous KKK crosses. Now ablaze. The wood was almost gone, and the flames had made their way into the yard, into the ditch, and even down the highway. But then, mere minutes later, the local fire truck roared into our yard and men jumped down and began to put out the fire.
The KKK members had waited down the road in a cow pasture to see my father’s reaction, but when no one noticed the fire, or how it was spreading, they had to summon the fire department. Some of those in the group that set the fire were also the same ones who put it out. A very small town.
It was not a particularly successful cross burning, and it got worse. The next day, my father had me draw up a sign that said “See genuine KKK cross, 25¢” and we placed it in the yard. He took a photo of the cross, the sign, and the yard, and put the photograph and the whole story of what had happened on the front page of the newspaper for the next week’s edition.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 2.
In my outpatient practice in Houston, I have been confronted with many people who have been traumatized by the recent presidential election. The factions among patients in the office seem to mirror the factions seen at a national level.
I have never before in my 42 years of working with patients seen such an outpouring of distress over current events. I have never before seen people talk with such intensity and frequency about an election.
This has prompted me to wonder if we are encountering some new diagnostic categories. Most prominent would be “Trumpression” and “Trumpiety” reflecting the depression and anxiety being expressed by patients currently in response to the election of the new president.
One segment of the population seems to be suffering from Post Trump Stress Disorder, while another sector seems to be suffering from Post Clinton Stress Disorder, and all of us are suffering from Post Election Stress Disorder. Another pervasive disorder may be soon discovered and might be called Acute Information Overload Disorder.
[Editor’ Note: Letter edited for length.]
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Several mental health professionals have speculated publicly about President Trump's character and fitness for office. They have cited his erratic behavior, callous regard for women, unethical business deals, exaggerated need for approval, lack of tolerance for criticism and flagrant disregard for facts. Some infer that these traits raise concern about his potential for triggering a war. Here we offer a different point of view.
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. There is little evidence that Donald Trump is prone to solving business and political conflicts through physical violence. His retaliations tend to be verbal and/or legal. It is unlikely that he will be any more physically aggressive — start a war — in an international conflict than he has been in his long history of personal and business disputes.
Candidate and now President Trump appears to be primarily a tactical rather than strategic thinker. He focuses on immediate events and is not strongly committed to long-term political goals. Consider how quickly he "walked back" his initial challenge to the one China policy and his trivialization of the one vs. two-state controversy in the Israel- Palestinian conflict — whatever they figure out….
If President Trump were to perceive a foreign leader as belittling him he would be likely to resort to bombast and insults. If the recipient were a rational actor, war would not be a likely outcome. However, to the extent that actors on the international scene are irrational and conflict-prone, some danger does exist. In such a case, much would depend upon the ability of Trump's associates to persuade Trump to control his impulses, based on past behavior, an uncertain, if not likely, option.
The great looming danger of Trump's threat as President is domestic. His assault on the free press, disrespect for the judiciary, shrugging off of civil rights, and lack of care about the environment are all grounds for great concern.
In the long run, perhaps the most pernicious and corrosive danger is Trump's debasing of the dignity of the office of President. If he continues his long and stable pattern of crude duplicity, reckless disregard for the truth and graceless treatment of others, he will obviate the ability of the presidency to lift our spirits and the capacity of our country to exert moral authority on the world stage.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 2.
Nancy Arnold, the Administrative Coordinator for Graduate Studies at LSU Psychology informed us that we jumped the gun on giving Daniella Cash the “Dr.” in front of her name, page 9 in our March issue. Ms. Cash has not yet received her doctorate, Ms. Arnold graciously informed us. Thank you Ms. Arnold for that eagle eye. We are sorry for any confusion.
And catching our own goof this time, we erroneously reported some researchers from Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the SEPA research article.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
Representative Hoffman seeks to remove requirements for the use of a value-added assessment model in determinations made with regard to school and district accountability and teacher evaluations. The measure relates to a program developed in part by school psychologist Dr. George Noell. During 2003 through 2008, the Board of Regents worked with Dr. Noell, psychologist and psychology professor at LSU. He developed aspects of Value- Added Teacher Preparation Program Assessment Model which was shown to have predictive validity for children’s successes.
Proposed law changes present law relative to the use of a value-added assessment model for school and district accountability and teacher evaluations.
Present law (R.S. 17:3902 (B) (5) and 3997(D)) requires local public school boards and
charter school governing authorities to use a value- added assessment model as determined by BESE for evaluating teachers.
Present law requires that 50% of such evaluations be based on evidence of growth in student achievement as determined by BESE.
It provides that data derived from the value-added assessment model shall be a factor in determining evidence of student growth for grade levels and subjects for which value-added data is available and shall comprise 35% of the overall evaluation.
It also provides that for grades and subjects for which, and for personnel for whom value-added data is not available, BESE shall establish measures of student growth.
Proposed law removes requirements for the use of a value-added assessment
model in making evaluation determinations and for certain percentages of the evaluations to be based upon value-added data.
Further, the proposed law removes the requirement that BESE develop and adopt a policy to invalidate student achievement growth data using a value-added assessment model for any school year in which there is a natural disaster or any other unexpected event that results in the temporary closure of schools.
The measure would also require that data derived from a value-added assessment model as determined by BESE shall be provided to local boards charter school governing authorities to assist in determining evidence of student growth for grade levels and subjects for which value-added data is available.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
House Bill 31 by Representative Frank Hoffmann authorizes retirees of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) to return to work as a school psychologist in a critical shortage area without reduction of retirement benefits.
The purpose of the measure is to authorize the reemployment of school psychologists in critical shortage areas, noted the author. "Critical shortage" means any situation where there exists a shortage of certified school psychologists.
Present law generally provides that a retiree of TRSL may not return to work in a position covered by the system and continue to receive his benefit check while reemployed.
According to the digest, present law provides procedures for establishing that a "critical shortage area" exists for purposes of present law. The proposed law retains present law and requires such certification procedures before a retiree may be reemployed as a school psychologist pursuant to proposed law.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 3. Source pages: 10.
University of Louisiana Lafayette Researchers Present at Society for Personality & Social Psychology
Members of the Sexual Violence Research Lab recently traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to present research at the annual convention of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Recent masters graduate Sara Gibson presented her work in a poster presentation, titled, “A content analysis of reactions to an acquaintance rape vignette.”
Associate Professor of Psychology, Dr. Amy Brown and current undergraduate lab member Melanie Schanke also presented a poster on their work, “Alcohol intoxication and willingness to intervene in hypothetical sexual assault scenarios.”
The Sexual Violence Research Lab at UL Lafayette is led by Dr. Brown and their research follows two primary lines of investigation:
The researchers study the social perception of sexual violence. They explore the “willingness to provide sympathy and support to victims and judgments of responsibility toward victims and perpetrators in hypothetical vignettes.” The researchers want to better understand the issues related to research indicating that men judge victims more harshly, that victims are judged more harshly if they had been drinking or if rape involved little force on the part of the perpetrator.
The other line of research explores the willingness to engage in and prior experience with prosocial intervention in the context of sexual violence. “We have worked on creating new measures of bystander attitudes and have investigated the impact of gender and perceived peer norms on bystander attitudes and behaviors. Current studies are investigating the impact of alcohol intoxication on bystanders by surveying drinkers in bars.”
Dr. Brown earned her undergraduate from Centenary and her PhD from Miami University.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.