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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Six-To-One Gets The Job Done: Comments On The Reviews, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff Oct 2006

Six-To-One Gets The Job Done: Comments On The Reviews, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff

Psychology Faculty Research

We are pleased to note that six of the seven responses to our article were marked by approval, and/or thoughtful contemplation, regarding our central theses—that the research said to support biological causation of mental disorders is relatively weak, and that the claims of drug effectiveness are often overstated.


Biological Psychiatry: A Practice In Search Of A Science, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff Oct 2006

Biological Psychiatry: A Practice In Search Of A Science, W. Joseph Wyatt, Donna M. Midkiff

Psychology Faculty Research

The rise of the biological causation model in the past thirty years is traced to psychiatry’s efforts to regain lost status and to protect itself from intrusions by non-medical practitioners, as well as to the pharmaceutical industry’s drive for profits. Evidence in support of the model, including studies of identical twins and of brain structure and function, are less revealing than was earlier thought, due to problems in methodology and interpretation. Organized psychiatry, when challenged in 2003, was unable to provide compelling evidence for biological causation of most mental and behavioral disorders. A paradigm shift away from biological causation and …


When We Were Boy Scouts, W. Joseph Wyatt Jul 2006

When We Were Boy Scouts, W. Joseph Wyatt

Psychology Faculty Research

Before I was old enough to be a Boy Scout, I yearned in vain to join my scoutmaster-dad as he departed on day hikes and weekend camping trips with the boy and other leaders of Troop 146 in St. Albans. When I moved out of the Cub Scouts at age 11, at last I was in Dad's troop. Today, I recall those times with my father as a special part of my life.


Peer Facilitated Eating Disorder Prevention: A Randomized Effectiveness Trial Of Cognitive Dissonance And Media Advocacy, Carolyn Becker, Lisa M. Smith, Anna C. Ciao Jan 2006

Peer Facilitated Eating Disorder Prevention: A Randomized Effectiveness Trial Of Cognitive Dissonance And Media Advocacy, Carolyn Becker, Lisa M. Smith, Anna C. Ciao

Psychology Faculty Research

This study investigated the effectiveness of two interventions in reducing eating disorder risk factors under naturalistic conditions in sororities. Based on previous research, the campus sororities chose to implement a semi-mandatory, two-session eating disorder prevention program to all new sorority members (N=90) during sorority orientation. To facilitate evaluation, sororities agreed to random assignment of new members to either a cognitive dissonance or media advocacy intervention. Undergraduate peer facilitators ran the groups. Although both interventions had an effect, cognitive dissonance generally was superior at eight-month followup. Results further support the utility of cognitive dissonance in reducing eating disorder risk factors, and …


Am I Blue? Depressed Mood And The Consequences Of Self Focus For The Interpretation And Recall Of Ambiguous Words, Paula T. Hertel, L. El-Messidi Jan 2006

Am I Blue? Depressed Mood And The Consequences Of Self Focus For The Interpretation And Recall Of Ambiguous Words, Paula T. Hertel, L. El-Messidi

Psychology Faculty Research

In two experiments, dysphoric and nondysphoric students first concentrated on either self-focused or other-focused phrases and then performed an ostensibly unrelated task involving the interpretation of homographs with both personal and impersonal meanings. In Experiment 1, they constructed sentences for the homographs; dysphoric students' sentences were more emotionally negative (although not more personal) in the self-focused condition than in the other-focused condition. In Experiment 2, they freely associated to the homographs, and the percentage of personal meanings reflected by the associations revealed an effect of self versus other focus that depended on mood group. Following free associations, they attempted to …