Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 1. Source pages: 7.
The Psychology Times 2016 COMMUNITY AWARD INNOVATION Dr. Bonnie Nastasi
For Tulane’s prolific scholar, Dr. Bonni Nastasi, the world is her community. She was not only honored in 2016 as one of the most prolific scholars in school psychology, she continued her innovations and multi-year research efforts across the globe. We reported on her innovations where she combined elements of clinical, school, and organizational psychology to aid those is Sri Lanka and elsewhere. She has tirelessly created new methods that can reach children in the most need, a mission that started for her years ago at the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. For her amazing insights in the science and application of psychology, we name her as our innovator for 2016. We thank her for allowing the rest of us to share in her vision of a better world.
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. 1. Source pages: 10.
The Psychology Times 2016 COMMUNITY AWARD ALTRUISM Beth and Dr. Raphael Salcedo and Dr. Mark Crosby
We continue to be amazed by the determination and self-sacrifice of the Salcedos, and the effort they pour into saving the lives and the psyches of the most abused children of our time, the sex-trafficked girls who find safety and healing at the Free Indeed Home. This year we reported on the hassles the Salcedos endured and overcame when red tape and indifference almost shut down the Home. These two are true heroes and continue to deserve all we can do for them.
We also name Dr. Mark Crosby this year for his leadership and selflessness in the Watson community, ground zero for the Flood of 2016. He dedicated himself to seeing the community through the stages of the catastrophe and is far from the end of that service. Our hats go off to Dr. Crosby this year also.
Dr. Raphael Salcedo on his tractor at the Free Indeed Home.
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. 1. Source pages: 12.
The Psychology Times 2016 COMMUNITY AWARD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Dr. Tracey Rizzuto
Dr. Tracey Rizzuto is not one to sit in her office looking at a computer screen. While she might do that too––there seems to be very little she doesn’t do–– she is out in the community making things happen. She seems to be everywhere doing anything to make the community better. We covered her work in violence prevention at BRAVE, her organizing the Women’s Leadership, and her leading the SIOP Consortia for the national association. This is only the tip of the iceberg in what this powerhouse leader does to develop our community. She has our thanks and admiration.
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. 1. Source pages: 13.
The Psychology Times 2016 COMMUNITY AWARD COURAGE Dr. Amy Henke
It takes no small amount of courage to stand up to the juggernauts that come rolling along sweeping up everything in their paths. But Dr. Amy Henke did just that.
This year our hats are off to Dr. Henke who unselfishly stood up to the ASPPB. She singlehandedly put forth a resolution at the state association formally objecting to the lack of scientific evidence and the proposal for a second national licensing exam to be levied on doctoral students at licensing.
For her leadership and grit, she has our admiration and the Times’ 2016 Courage Award.
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. 1. Source pages: 14.
The Psychology Times 2016 COMMUNITY AWARD INVOLVEMENT Dr. Courtland Chaney & Dr. William Costello
Things don’t happen unless people work together to make them happen. We could have called this the community psychology award. It goes to the individual or group that transcends the typical politics and subgroup differences, the lethargy, the apathy, and all the many obstacles that stand in the way of getting people together so that they can create a light bulb. The award goes to those who bring people together in a positive way, to honor the importance of team effort, mutual respect, and the diversity that is key to innovation and productivity.
This year we are delighted and yes, a bit surprised, by the magic dust that Dr. Courtland Chaney and Dr. William (Gig) Costelloe are sprinkling over the state, to bring together all sorts of people who are involved in IO psychology. It is a “build it and they will come” type of success. Congrats to these two on behalf of a much undernourished group in our community.
Dr. Courtland Chaney (L) shows David Geller some history about psychology in Louisiana, at an organizing meeting of industrial-organizational psychology professionals last year.
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. 1. Source pages: 15.
The Psychology Times 2016 COMMUNITY AWARD MEDIA Dr. Marilyn Mendoza
“How are we as psychologists to regard a discipline that succeeds primarily in speaking to itself?” was how Gergen described our problems in 1995. If we are to use our science to help the most people, we have to get the word out, speak in understandable ways to others and in words that work. It is not easy for us, because we like and are comfortable with our jargon and our theories and our ivory towers. But Dr. Marilyn Mendoza is not only good at plain, honest talk, she always has something interesting to say. She blogs for Psychology Today and she is willing to contribute whenever asked. For her words that stick, we are honored to give Dr. Mendoza our 2016 Media Award.
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. 1. Source pages: 17.
Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists to Hold Training Event in Baton Rouge, Jan 7 & 8
The Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists (LAMP) will hold its regular Continuing Education conference on January 7 and January 8, in Baton Rouge. The training begins at 8 am on Saturday the 7th and at 12 noon on Sunday the 8th.
Registration is exclusive to members and vendors.
LAMP is the practice organization for Medical Psychologists in Louisiana.
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. 1. Source pages: 17.
IO Psychology Interest Group to Meet in New Orleans January 21
The free-standing interest group for industrial-organizational psychology in Louisiana will hold its second meeting on January 21 in New Orleans. The group facilitators, Dr. Courtland Chaney, Dr. William Costelloe, Dr. Tyree Mitchell, and David Geller are developing meeting arrangements and can be contacted for additional information.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 2.
Making Decisions by J. Nelson
In the late 70s Archimedes and I decided it was about time to get married. Even though the 60s were in the rearview mirror, we were non- traditionalists at heart, and I, being almost done with my doctoral training, was perfectly happy living in what my dad called, “dignified poverty.”
So we invited the entire LSU psychology department, family and friends, to a pot-luck wedding reception. My dress cost $55.00, my parents paid for liquor and Archimedes paid for the band and hall at the old Bellemont on Airline––he actually had a real job.
We were living in his small house in blue-collar, North Baton Rouge, not far from chemical plants and the department of highways. The mortgage was $76 per month.
Archimedes made a daily trip to the local Hi Nabor grocery, where he’d load up on plate lunch specials from the deli, served by a genuine Cajun woman whose accent was so heavy I could barely understand her. But Archimedes did, because he and Cajun Lady spoke the language of food. She loved to feed him and he loved to eat. (If the house were burning down at lunchtime, he’d let it burn to the ground rather than miss his meal.)
So when Cajun Lady discovered we were getting married she enthusiastically explained that she owned a cake decorating business and made the finest wedding cakes available, and at a great price.
Archimedes said “Sure,” because he liked easy solutions to domestic problems and I said “Sure,” because I liked Archimedes. And, didn’t the French know this stuff––a la Julia Child?
So I was surprised when, on the day of our wedding activities I was met by my typically cheerful, calm sister, Suzannah, who was, in a word, frantic.
“There’s a problem with the cake,” she said in an urgent, hushed, and desperate voice.
“What’s the matter?”
“Come with me,” she rasped out. “Maybe we can cut it up into pieces before more people get here.”
She ushered me over to one of the long tables arranged around the perimeter of the hall. There sat a circus monstrosity, decorated with icing of sunflower yellow and fire engine red. It leaned to the side, as if it lacked the motivation to stand up straight. The top layer of the cake had been put on a separate plate, because it kept sliding off, Suzi said, laying the whole catastrophe at our feet and waiting for instructions.
After a short pause, Archimedes began to laugh uproariously. Then I began to laugh. My sister sighed and shook her head.
We have several judgment errors here. Our cake designer was over- confident, a common human trait. In a study of nearly 15,000 judgments, when people were 98 percent sure of something (and this did not include motivated reasoning), they were right only 68 percent of the time.
Eighty percent of high school students judge themselves to be in the top half of the population in any measure of talent. If a person is in the lowest quartile, they routinely judge themselves to be in at least the 60th percentile, and this group even ignores feedback that contradicts their self-inflated views. We PhDs are no better, in fact, we’re worse. Ninety-four percent of us think we are in the top half of all others in our profession.
Poor decisions are usually a group failure. Archimedes and I were guilty of groupthink, of conformity bias, of social loafing, and any variety of elements of motivated reasoning, just as a start.
It was only a cake. Important, serious decisions are made every day in our state by board members, lawmakers, council members, politicians, individuals, organizations––all in the pea soup of flawed human judgment and poor group process. We’re not much better than dart-throwing chimpanzees at figuring out the future, or at solving its complex problems. Psychology has a lot to offer in the dilemmas of human self-deception and problem-solving.
Our wedding cake wasn’t the worst decision I ever made––I have a list of whoppers. It wasn’t even important. But the Cajun Lady was right when she told us she’d make us a cake that we’d never forget.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 16.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Training to be Held February in N.O.
A combination of sponsors including the Human Development Center, Tulane University Law School, the Advocacy Center, and the National Disability Rights Network, will come together to support nationally recognized experts and continuing education on the topics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The training will be held at the LSU Human Development Center in New Orleans, on Friday, February 3, 2017.
Topics to be covered include Diagnosis and Treatment, Early Childhood and Special Education, Juvenile and Adult Criminal Justic, and the issues of strategies and interventions from medical, social services, mental health and others. Advocacy will also be addressed.
The CDC studies has identified 0.2 to 1.5 infants with FAS for every 1,000 live births in certain areas of the United States. The most recent CDC study analyzed medical and other records and found FAS in 0.3 out of 1,000 children from 7 to 9 years of age. Studies using in-person assessment of school-aged children in several U.S. communities report higher estimates of FAS: 6 to 9 out of 1,000 children. Experts estimate that the full range of FASDs in the United States and some Western European countries might number as high as 2 to 5 per 100 school children. Experts look to the prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among women of child-bearing age, to be a community risk marker. In Louisiana, 54.3 percent of child-bearing age women report using any alcohol and 16.8 percent reporting binge drinking.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 2.
Corrections & Clarifications
In last month’s issue we mistakenly identified Chelsea Hightower as Kelsey Powell, in the photo of IO psychology practitioners on page 15 in the People section. We are sorry for the confusion.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 16.
Assn of Family and Conciliation Courts Conference in January
The Louisiana chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts will hold its 2017 state conference on January 27–28 at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center on the LSU Campus in Baton Rouge.
Professionals can earn 12.5 approved CLEs/CEUs. Conference keynote speaker, Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, MSL, will speak on "Infants and Overnights." The conference supports professional networking and problem solving, on topics such as domestic violence, issues with adolescents, and grandparent rights.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 4.
LSBEP Eyeing Regulations for Unlicensed Assts
“This is something whose time might never come,” said Vice Chair Dr. Phillip Griffin, addressing the members of the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) at the November 11 Long-Range Planning meeting. He introduced discussion about some level of regulation of unlicensed assistants who work for psychologists. Griffin told those attending, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Dr. Griffin said that Louisiana had recently passed a law requiring background checks for unlicensed assistants for institutions, and that the topic for psychologists’ assistants, needs to be addressed.
He also said that in his role with the Applied Behavior Analysis Board, he had seen that the background checks on line technicians uncover a “lot of issues.”
Dr. Kim Van Geffen, Chair of Professional Affairs for the Louisiana Psychological Association, asked, “Have there been any incidents?” The board members did not confirm that there had been any issues, or provide any statistics. But Ms. Jaime Monic, current executive director for the LSEP, noted that background checks uncovered issues for psychologists that would surprise those attending the meeting.
Monic read the licensing law where the LSBEP is viewed to have authority over assistants, and said that it could include, “anyone under the supervision…”
Dr. Joe Comaty, also attending, said that the Louisiana statutes put the psychologist under a “strict liability standard,” where the psychologists have full responsibility for the actions of assistants.
Griffin said, “We haven’t thought of how this would work,” and explained that it was in the early stages of discussion.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 16.
Submissions Deadline Today APS Annual Convention, Set for May 25-28, 2017
The Association for Psychological Science will hold its 29th Annual Convention in Boston, May 25 to 28, 2017.
The Call for Submissions for Symposiums is December 1. Submissions may be sent via email. Deadline for submissions for posters is January 31, and submitters will be notified on a rolling basis.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 4.
Changes to Ethics Section Proposed by Psych Board
The board is suggesting changes to Chapter 13 for “Ethical Standards of Psychologists,” by removing specific reference to the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct, and replacing it with sections of the Code placed in the Rules, word-for-word, with some selections deleted.
Presently, §1301., “Preamble,” reads: “A. The Board of Examiners of Psychologists incorporates by reference and maintains that Psychologists shall follow the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct with the 2010 amendments adopted by the American Psychological Association's Council of Representatives on February 20, 2010, effective June 1, 2010. The Ethics Code and information regarding the code can be found on the APA website, http://www.apa.org/ethics, or from the LSBEP web site at http://www.lsbep.org.”
The new language would be: “Psychologists work to develop a valid and reliable body of scientific knowledge based on research. They may apply that knowledge to human behavior in a variety of contexts. In doing so, they perform many roles, such as researcher, educator, diagnostician, therapist, supervisor, consultant, administration (sic), social interventionists (sic), court mediator, and expert witness. Their goal is to broaden knowledge of behavior and, where appropriate, to apply it pragmatically to improve the condition of both the individual and society. Psychologists respect the central importance of freedom of inquiry and expression in research, teaching, and publication. Psychologists respect and protect human and civil rights, and do not knowingly participate in or condone unfair, discriminatory practices. They also strive to help the public in developing informed judgments and choices concerning human behavior. These rules set standards and guidelines are established (sic) for the welfare and protection of the individuals and groups with whom psychologists work.”
In the current version, the language ends at this point. The psychology board proposes to add new sections that tract the APA codes, with some sections deleted.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.