The Psychology Archives at the University of Akron will continue its fall colloquium series by welcoming psychologist Dr. Florence L. Denmark, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 2 to 4 p.m., in Student Union 312. Denmark’s lecture, “The History of Women In Psychology and the Development of the Psychology of Women,” is free and open to the public.

Denmark is an internationally recognized scholar, researcher and policy maker. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in social psychology and has five honorary degrees. Denmark’s most significant research and extensive publications have emphasized women’s leadership and leadership styles, the interaction of status and gender, aging women in cross-cultural perspective and the history of women in psychology.

The Rorschach has been leaked by Wikipedia.

I debated posting this news item, because it adds to the publicity for what would appear to be at least a borderline ethical act. However, as reported by the New York Times and other media outlets, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia has been engulfed in a furious debate involving psychologists who are angry that the 10 original Rorschach plates are reproduced online, along with common responses for each. For them, the Wikipedia page is the equivalent of posting an answer sheet to next year’s SAT. They are pitted against the overwhelming majority of Wikipedia’s users, who share the site’s “free culture” ethos, which opposes the suppression of information that it is legal to publish. (Because the Rorschach plates were created nearly 90 years ago, they have lost their copyright protection in the United States.)

I am not sure how to respond to the news item. The availability is nothing new. Back when I gave the Rorschach, I often wondered about the availability in the library of books that contained the Rorschach cards and responses. Sure those were not as easily available and cost money to purchase, but were in most University libraries. So, people having access to images of the cards is not new. If this only occurred with non-copyright protected documents it would be easier to deal with and accept.

So is there a lesson. If there is it is that for those human resource professionals involved in testing, the security of tests will remain a huge problem and will probably become a more significant issue in the future.  

Searching for unpublished tests or measures can be very frustrating. So the following represents a very exciting future development. The American Psychological Association (APA) is planning a PsycTESTS database.  This exciting new product is being designed to provide access to the full text of many unpublished tests and measures and to provide information to help the researcher determine whether a given test or measure is potentially right for their research. This product should be a valuable addition in terms of an APA membership.

In one of my career talks, I discuss how both psychologists and human resource professionals, my two fields, tend to be viewed in a negative manner by the public. Unfortunately, it is no the same sort of sexy bad of lawyers, but often a boring bad image. The release of information on interrogation techniques used by the military with detainees has further tarnished the image of psychologists – an example is this article from Democracy Now.

The image of both psychologists and the psychologists profession that emerges in this article is a highly negative one. Perhaps I find the role of psychologists to be more salient than the general public will, but certainly this represents a black eye for psychology, regardless of the accuracy of the reporting or statements made regarding the profession.

The Archives of the History of American Psychology (AHAP) with the generous support of the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation will present a conference on Mental Health Care in America. This two-day event will be held on the campus of The University of Akron at The Quaker Square Inn. The meeting will be held Next Thursday and Friday (April 23rd and 24th) and promises an outstanding list of speakers. This two-day conference brings together leading experts in the field to examine where we have been, where we are, and to speculate on where we are going.

Malcolm Gladwell does not need my recommendation to sell books. His new book, Outliers: The Story of Success, follows the bestsellers The Tipping Point and Blink.

For those in Psychology or Human Resource Management, some of the material Gladwell covers will be familiar. The reader will also notice that he often chooses to leave out research that contradicts his hypotheses.

Nevertheless, I believe all of Gladwell’s books, but especially Outliers, should be considered must reads for those in Human Resources. The book is about success, expertise, or high performance. Gladwell offers an interesting synthesis of research suggesting that multiple factors may relate to success.

Despite the underlying theme of success, this is almost three books rather than one. If there is something to criticize, other than ignoring contradictory research, it is that there seems to be something of a disconnect between the three major sections. The first section deals with the impact of birth year, or generation, on success. The second looks at the impact of ethnicity, culture, or location on success. The third takes a very personal look at Gladwell’s family and personal background. The first section is the strongest in terms of interesting writing and amazing science. The third section is strong on emotion and drawing a connection to the author.

Basically, the book looks at the unusual impact seemingly chance factors have on success. This includes birth year or generation and location or ethnicity. This does not mean that the argument is made that it is luck. Rather, Gladwell’s argument is that these factors lead to years and years of hard work, which then leads to success.

Overall, the book tells a fascinating story of what contributes to expertise and high levels of performance. It also fits in well with the current interest in generations.

A complete side note: On the back of the book there is a quote from the New York Times concerning “Gladwell’s theories could be used to run businesses more effectively…” Gladwell is an excellent writer and translator of psychological research, but the theories are those of others.

Are you currently undergoing a career transition? You are not alone.

A few years ago, a good friend of mine, Diane Wilson, wrote a book on career transitions. It was an excellent book that sold well, but today, the advice in the book is even more appropriate. Diane also has started blogging again and you can find her blog through the “People Getting Back in Control” Facebook group or http://emotionalunemployment.blogspot.com/

Diane’s goal is to make her blog an excellent resource for people in career transtion attempting to manage the psychological aspects of change. Peak performance training for the job world!

The Psychology Archives at the University of Akron will welcome Professor Robert H. Wozniak to The University of Akron campus on Thursday, February 5th. Dr. Wozniak will be here from 12:30 – 2 pm in Room 312 of the Student Union to discuss “It’s Not Just All About Information: Books in the History  of Psychology”. This event is free and open to the public. Contact Dorothy Gruich at 330-972-7285 with any questions.

Dr. Wozniak is currently Professor of Psychology at Bryn Mawr College and Visiting Professor of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.  He received his PhD in Psychology in 1970 from the University of Michigan and has taught at the University of Minnesota and Columbia University.  His research interests include communicative development in young children, the early identification of autism spectrum disorders, and the history of American scientific and clinical psychology.  He is the author of Mind and Body: René Descartes to William James and Classics in Psychology, 1855-1914: Historical Essays and the editor of numerous volumes.

Visit the AHAP web site http://www3.uakron.edu/ahap for further colloquium and event information.

The American Psychologist for December of 2008 includes an article on “Reporting Standards for Research in Psychology.” These standards are intended to bring psychology in-line with other groups adopting standards for evidence based practice. In that many disciplines adopt APA Publication Standards, any such set of guidelines will be very influential. The standards will impact areas such as HRM and Management. There are standards for research studies as well as meta analysis.

My complaint – thy cite an APA Presidential Task Force in stating that evidence based practice means “the integration of the best available research with clinical expertise.” You have to wonder if there is a recognition that areas of psychological practice exist outside of health care.

For those interested in licensing, there is a great article by Stephen DeMers (ASPPB) on “Changes in Training and Practice of Psychologists: Current Challenges for Licensing Boards” in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2008, 473-479

Ken Pope has an excellent web site dealing with licensing issues in psychology.

For those interested in cultural competency, a report on measuring and defining cultural competence can be found at the National Quality Forum website.