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©2014, Division 5, American Psychological Association. All rights reserved.
N E W S L E T T E R
April 2014
AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION
D i v i s i o n F i v e : E v a l u a t i o n • Measurement • Statistics
iNSidE
The Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology: Mission and Advances ..... 1
About The Score .................. 2
E-mail Lists ............................ 2
Executive Officers and Committees ............... 2
Position Available: WPS Project Director ................ 3
HumRRO: Custom Solutions .............. 4
Preliminary Report of February 20-23, 2014 Meeting of the APA Council of Representatives (COR) ................................ 5
New Directions in Behavioral Statistics ............................ 6
Stats Camp ........................... 9
Student’S CornerPerspectives From a Student
Editor ...............................10
What’s New ........................12
Advertise in The Score ................................13
(Continued on page 3)
The Society for Qualitative inquiry in Psychology: Mission and Advances
By Frederick J. WertzFordham University
The Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology (SQIP) is the newest section of APA’s Division 5. As the Section Represen-tative to the Division 5 Executive Commit-tee, I am happy to report on the Society’s principles and recent activities. The mission of the Society is to promote the excellence and creative growth of qualitative inquiry, as well as its greater inclusion in the general discipline of psychology, both in its own right and in con-junction with quantitative practices. The executive committee of the Society has been meeting regu-larly for the last two years and has made many strides forward, including forming several task forces, sponsoring a first conference, and establishing a new journal, Qualitative Psychology. Interested readers can follow the Society’s latest developments on our website (http://qualpsy.org/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/qualpsy).
For those interested in the history of the So-ciety, including how it came to be a section of Division 5, Ken Gergen (2013) recently published a useful overview. Following the strong leadership of the Society’s first presi-dent, Mark Freeman, Ruthellen Josselson has been leading SQIP this year and will be succeeded by president elect Marco Gemig-nani. The SQIP task forces are working on
a variety of initiatives, including improving and managing communications to members (website and Facebook page), developing undergraduate curricula, organizing gradu-ate students, mentoring novice research-ers, updating Section bylaws, promoting
international outreach and expanded membership, and providing resources for publication.
Following the vision and planning of Michelle Fine, SQIP’s Treasurer, The Graduate Center of CUNY sponsored a conference for the Society on No-vember 14-15 in New York City. More than 50 presenters offered a wide range of program material for the event’s 150 attend-ees, including an introduc-tory panel by the SQIP
executive committee entitled Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology: Past, Present and Future, and 14 sessions comprising papers, panel discussions, and workshops. In ad-dition, Josh Clegg and a group of graduate students conducted oral history interviews with leaders of qualitative psychology who were in attendance.
It would be difficult to imagine a confer-ence with greater substance and a higher, more consistent pitch of enthusiasm among those present. Michelle’s program included numerous internationally acclaimed inno-vators in a spectrum of qualitative methods,
Frederick J. Wertz
2 The Score • April 2014
Division 5 Officers and CommitteesExecutive Officers
Committees
http://www.apa.org/divisions/div5/
The Score is the official newsletter of APA Division 5—Evaluation, Mea-surement, and Statistics—and is published quarterly in January, April, July and October. In keeping with this mission, The Score publishes the division’s business meeting minutes, committee reports, and announcements.
In addition, where appropriate and space permits, short articles (800–1000 words) on technical issues and professional activities of Division 5 mem-bers, or on topics of current interest may be accepted. Brief announcements and calls for presentations related to conferences or meetings of particular interest to Division 5 members may also qualify. Submissions should be sent to The Score Editor, David Herzberg: [email protected].
Submission deadlines are one month prior to publication: March 1 for the April issue, June 1 for July, September 1 for October, and December 1 for January.
The Score is published solely online and distributed via e-mail notification. Division 5 members receive the e-mail notice through the Division 5 DIV5ANN email listserv (see the box below).
Guidelines for advertising appear elsewhere in this issue. Paid advertisements are solicited from a variety of sources and are not officially en-dorsed by Division 5.
Guidelines for the “What’s New?” column are provided with the column.
Urgent announcements should be submitted to the Division 5 e-mail lists, described in the box below.
Elections Stephen G. West, Chair [email protected]
Marcia Andberg [email protected]
Todd D. Little [email protected] Historian Kristin Koskey [email protected]
Membership Dubravka Svetina, Co-Chair [email protected]
Emily Shaw, Co-Chair [email protected]
Public & international Affairs Leigh Wang [email protected] Website Mark Daniel, Listserv Moderator [email protected] Alan Reifman, Website Editor [email protected]
Awards Amy Schmidt, Chair [email protected]
Mark Daniel [email protected]
Barbara Byrne [email protected]
President Keith F. Widaman [email protected]
President-Elect Abigail T. Panter [email protected]
Past President Stephen G. West [email protected]
Financial Officer Jodi Casabianca [email protected]
Coordinating Officer & Secretary James A. Bovaird [email protected]
Representatives to APA Council Deborah L. Bandalos [email protected]
Susana Urbina [email protected]
Members-at-Large to theExecutive Committee Amy Schmidt [email protected]
Mark Daniel [email protected]
Barbara M. Byrne [email protected]
Section Representatives David Herzberg, Assessment [email protected]
David MacKinnon, Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics [email protected]
Frederick Wertz, Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology [email protected]
E-mail ListsKeep up with the latest Division 5 news through its two e-mail listservs.
diV5 serves as a vehicle for discussion among members on topics related to evaluation, measurement, statistics, assessment, and qualitative inquiry.
diV5ANN is used exclusively for announcements from Division leadership regarding issues such as elections, calls for nomination to boards and committees, the convention program, or policy changes. Ths is a “one-way” listserv that does not support listwide replies (that is, it is not structured to support discussion). All members have been added to the listserv, and new members are added as they join. We strongly encourage all members to remain on the listserv in order to receive the newsletter and other important division news. We promise to keep the number of messages to a minimum.
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You can manage your listservs via http://listserve.apa.org.
If you have any questions, contact Mark Daniel at [email protected].
Fellowship Steve Reise [email protected] Wayne Camara [email protected]
Program Fred Oswald, Chair [email protected] Kevin Grimm [email protected]
Krista Mattern [email protected] diversity Beverly Vandiver, Chair [email protected]
Eun-Young Mun [email protected]
Newsletter David Herzberg, Editor [email protected]
Michael Edwards, Associate Editor [email protected]
Early Career PsychologistsNetwork Vacant
3 The Score • April 2014
(Continued from page 1)
as well as rising early-career stars and passionately engaged stu-dents. For instance, the program began with Carol Gilligan, her long time collaborators Lyn Mikel Brown and Deborah Tolman, and doctoral student Brian Davis presenting their fascinating account of “The Listening Guide,” a method of data collection, analysis, and social intervention that has evolved over the last 40 years and continues to generate new research and to serve as a catalyst for so-cial change. Frankfurt School researchers presented a workshop on “Qualitative Inquiry and the Unconscious,” involving participants in their quest to distill the underlying research methods of psycho-analysis and to make them available for general social science.
In the conference’s opening panel, the SQIP executive committee members provided engaging perspectives on the past, present, and future of qualitative inquiry. Ruthellen Josselson reviewed the history of SQIP, including the initial conception of the Society in 2004 (with Ken Gergen), a failed attempt in 2008 to become a Division of APA, an invitation from Division 5 for us to join under a changed Division name, and finally becoming a section of Division 5 in 2012.
Ken Gergen spoke about the prevailing pluralism within the quali-
tative movement, a pluralism characterized by openness, mutual respect, and curiosity. He emphasized that the flourishing of the qualitative movement in psychology would not threaten traditional empirical study, but would vitally expand the discipline’s practices of inquiry, including, for example, giving voice to minorities, pro-viding cultural critiques, generating social solidarity, and spurring social change. Such opportunities would more closely synchronize research to pressing social needs, and would favor continuous in-novation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Mark Freeman spoke of having been intrigued by the prospect of building bridges with Division 5. His interest in making SQIP a section of Division 5 was also motivated by the cause of students, who frequently seek more qualitative ways of exploring human experience, and the cause of the discipline itself, which, on his account, has been operating with a restricted view of science throughout much of its history. Along these lines, he suggested that qualitative inquiry, far from undermining the project of psycho-logical science (as some have feared), actually serves to advance it. The conference, therefore, could be seen as inaugurating not only SQIP, but also a new and vitally important chapter in the his-tory of psychology.
Fred Wertz spoke about the history of qualitative methods in psy-chology, pointing out the paradox of their ubiquity in the absence of any systematic historical study of qualitative inquiry. Likening
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SQiP Mission and Advances
4 The Score • April 2014
the history of qualitative methods to a forest with many different trees of various ages, Fred outlined four stages:
1. The practice of qualitative research (including the work of Wundt, Freud, James, Piaget, Maslow);
2. Gordon Allport’s 1942 critical review, defense, and call for bold experimentation with rigorous accountability;
3. Publication of method guides starting in 1954 with Flanagan and continuing from 1970-1990 with phenomenology, grounded theory, discourse analysis, and narrative inquiry; and
4. The institutionalization of the discipline, from 1990 to the present, generating textbooks, journals, courses, and professional organizations including SQIP.
Fred concluded that Allport’s challenge of bold experimentation and rigorous accountability has become a reality.
Linda McMullen spoke about her experiences introducing quali-tative research in Canada, first to graduate students in the early 1990s and then to undergraduate students in the early 2000s. She stressed the theme of generational change and implored students in the audience to consider a career in which they could carry on
qualitative research as applied to questions of psychological rel-evance. Marco Gemignani underscored the links between SQIP and the “Day in Qualitative Psychology” at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, which is held annually at the University of Illinois. Marco then gave a provocative talk in favor of critical ap-proaches to qualitative inquiry, emphasizing the distinctive attitude and creativity of qualitative researchers as well as their potential contributions to social change.
Valerie Futch spoke about three opportunities for the future of qualitative work. She encouraged young scholars to become “bi-lingual” in terms of mixing methods, reflected on mixed-methods collaboration across disciplines such as education, youth studies, prevention, public health, and evaluation; and she suggested that teaching is an opportunity to engage students critically in mul-tiple perspectives with a more “qualitative” lens. Joseph Gone, considering future prospects, recounted key moments in his own career trajectory. Drawing on professional experiences in gradu-ate school, the academic job market, and tenure and promotion in the discipline, he acknowledged that psychology remains a meth-odologically conservative field. Nevertheless, he also identified important trends in psychology that signal greater inclusiveness for pluralistic modes of inquiry.
(Continued on page 13)
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5 The Score • April 2014
By Deborah L. Bandalos and Susana P. UrbinaDivision 5 Representatives to APA Council
Editor’s note: This report covers only those COR agenda items pertaining to the Good Governance Project (GGP), as discussed at the February 2014 meeting. A partial report is presented now due to the importance of these matters for the future of the APA. A full report will appear in the July 2014 issue of The Score. Please see the October 2013 issue of The Score for an outline of GGP issues from the July/August 2013 COR meet-ing. In addition, a short video update on the GGP is available at http://www.apa.org/about/governance/good-governance/index.aspx.
The Implementation Working Group (IWG), formed by APA Past President Bersoff after the August 2013 meeting, proposed various motions regarding gov-ernance changes. Council reviewed and discussed the implementation action plans and approved the following:
• Delegating specific duties, including financial and budget matters, hiring and evaluation of the CEO, aligning the budget with the APA Strategic Plan, and internally focused policy development, from the council to the Board of Directors (BOD) for a three-year trial period. “Internally focused” was not defined operationally.
• Creating a new composition for APA’s BOD, including six members drawn from the general membership and elected by members, a public member and a commitment to have at least one early career psychologist on the board at all times.
• Creating a Needs Assessment, Slating and Campaigns Committee (NASCC) to conduct annual needs assessment and develop slates for those seats on the board elected by and from the general membership. The committee is also expected to conduct a needs assessment and develop slates for council members elected by and from the general membership, if such seats are added to a new council structure.
Preliminary Report of February 20-23, 2014 Meeting of the APA Council of Representatives (COR)
• Expanding the Council’s scope to focus on developing, directing and informing policy affecting the discipline and practice of psychology, identifying and prioritizing major efforts facing psychology, and ensuring APA policies are aligned with APA’s mission and strategic plan.
• Creating a Council Leadership Team (CLT). This team’s duties will include managing the council’s workflow
and developing a process by which the council will identify, prioritize and address the major issues facing psychology. The Chair and Chair-elect of the CLT will sit on the BOD.
The motion dealing with reorganizing the structure of the COR was not voted on. Two models were proposed and it was clear from a straw poll that neither had sufficient support. Although the two models differ somewhat, both of them involve reducing the number of Division Representatives from 98 to 54 (one per Division) and including 60 Representatives from the STPAs (one per State, Territory, and Province). This issue was sent back to the IWG so that they can develop and propose a new structure based on the discussions that took place. That model will be developed beginning this spring and reviewed by the council at its August 2014 meeting.
Important Note: The motion to delegate authority for specific duties to the Board on a trial basis does not require a general APA membership vote. It will require a vote in the future (after the trial) if Council decides to permanently transfer the authority. The motion on Board composition requires a membership vote, as would any changes to the COR structure. The motion on forming the NASCC does not require a membership vote. The CLT can be established without membership approval, but it will need a membership vote to have its members represent all of APA, rather than just their constituencies.
As your division representatives to the COR, we would like to point out that although the restructuring of the Council is meant to focus it on more substantive issues and to increase its nimbleness, we have con-
cerns about possible weakening of the voices of scientists within the organization, given that the majority of the seats will now be held by STPAs and other practitioner-focused constituencies.
Deborah L. Bandalos
Susana P. Urbina
6 The Score • April 2014
By Wayne F. VelicerCancer Prevention Research CenterUniversity of Rhode Island
Paper based on Presentation for Division 5 Samuel J. Messick Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions at the American Psychological Association Meeting, Honolulu, HI, August 3, 2013
Overview
This paper identifies three themes that are driv-ing change within the discipline of behavioral statistics. The presentation focuses on advances in methodology, where the relation between methods and content is typically reciprocal. Advances in behavioral statistics are critical for advances in the content areas of behavioral science. The research method employed dictates the research questions that can be answered, and expanding the available methods can greatly expand the range of possible research questions. The three themes discussed in this paper are also mutually enhancing in that advances in one area will promote advances in the other areas.
The first theme is the changing focus of psychol-ogy from the study of behavior to the study of behavior change and the development of effective interventions. The characteristics of this theme include a focus on dynamic variables rather than static variables; the pattern of change over time rather than cross-sectional studies; and the individual rather than groups. The second theme is the changing emphasis of data analytic methods. Although much of this change is driven by technology, evolving theoretical perspectives are also critical. The characteristics of this second theme include a focus on effect size estimation rather than null hypothesis testing; identifying mecha-nisms of behavior change; and understanding change over the time dimension. The third theme involves advances in measurement. Improved technology has yielded new types of data. The charac-teristics of this third theme include a focus on active telemetrics; passive telemetrics; and social networking data.
In part, these changes arise from the desire to pursue psychological research in real-world contexts. In the past we have struggled to generalize our findings from the laboratory to the real world. Now it is possible to actively conduct our research in the real world rather than the laboratory.
Theme A. Focus on Behavior Change
Historically, many of the contributions of psychology have been achieved by developing models of behavior. Many useful constructs have involved variables that are quite stable over time, such as past
history, demographic variables (gender, race, ethnicity, and age), IQ, and personality traits. For example, past history typically was the best predictor of future behavior. But past behavior is a static variable, not open to change, and is not the best predictor of future behavior change. Theories of behavior have typically led to the development of selection models, such as the use of ability tests to
select students for admission to college.
A.I. Focus on dynamic Variables. Theories of be-havior change require a focus on dynamic vari-ables. Unlike static variables, dynamic variables are open to change. Change requires different cognitive, emotional, and behavioral activities at different times during the change process. Psy-chology’s quest to develop effective interventions has brought theories of behavior change into the spotlight. In contrast, theories of behavior often focus on static variables, which cannot be easily modified. In terms of mediation analysis, static variables are best conceptualized as moderator variables.
A.II. Focus on Patterns of Change over time. Models of behavior change need to model change over time. The pattern of change over time is criti-cal. Simply using calendar time for the temporal dimension will be inadequate; we need to under-
stand time at the individual level. Some individuals will change much more rapidly than others. The assumption of linear change is likely to be the exception rather than the rule. Constructs that are curvilinear over time will be common in behavior change models. Typically a person makes no effort before change, and then makes increasing effort, and then decreases effort as change becomes stable. Linear models, applied to curvilinear patterns will greatly underestimate such relationships. Change is also likely to involve periods of rapid change followed by periods of stability. An analogue is the model of punctuated equilibrium from natural history. Figure 1 illustrates this type of model. Using models of this
New directions in Behavioral Statistics
Time
Chang
e
Wayne F. Velicer
Figure 1
7 The Score • April 2014
kind will generate new research questions, such as:
• How large are the discontinuities?
• What processes drive discontinuities?
• How long are the stable periods?
• What processes drive stability?
A.III. Focus on Individual. During the last two decades, there has been increasing interest in multiple observations on a single individual (or unit) over time. Idiographic analysis focuses on the variability within an individual (intra-subject variability) rather than between individuals (inter-subject variability). Idiographic approaches are employed extensively in many other branches of science, including economics, business, and electrical engineering. These methods were originally the basis for research in the behav-ioral sciences (e.g., case studies), but they have been little used for the last 50 years. The idiographic approach was often viewed as inferior due to lack of an objective quantitative basis. The focus has been on visual analysis only (i.e., the judgment of the researcher based on the graphical presentation of the data) to determine if the intervention is effective. The development of new statistical methods such as time series analysis, advances in measurement such as the development of telemetric approaches (see Theme C), and a change in focus from the laboratory to the real world have re-energized interest in idiographic approaches.
Theme B. Changing Focus of data Analysis Methods
The field of behavioral statistics has evolved rapidly during the last fifty years as a result of advances in computer science. Now the increased computational power is combining with conceptual advances to produce a revolution in our methods of research.
B.I. Focus on effect Size estimation. It has been widely recognized that Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) procedures are poorly adapted to building a science. NHST focuses on a predic-tion that was not made by the theory (H0 = no relation between the dependent and independent variables). The actual prediction can only be inferred by rejection of H0, but a lack of power can incorrectly retain a null hypothesis that might implicitly lead one to reject the theory. A lack of power can be the result of many factors: low sample size, poor measures, or poor research designs. As an alternative, methodologists are now focusing on effect size estima-tion and confidence intervals, sometimes described as the “New Statistics.” By checking whether the null hypothesis is included in the confidence interval, we get the same result that we would from a conventional NHST approach. However, the focus on effect size estimation can inform development of a quantitative science. On the practical side, effect sizes can also guide development of effec-tive interventions. Effect size estimation has already had several major impacts on psychology: including the development of power analysis and meta-analysis. Currently, it is providing an alternative to NHST. In the future, it can have a major impact on the design of effective interventions, where the effect size of variables can help determine the order in which these variables should be addressed in the intervention, or whether they should be addressed at all.
B.II. Focus on Identifying Mechanisms of Behavior Change. Mediation analysis has seen major advances in the last two decades, driven by the increasing attention on mechanisms of behavior change. Too many intervention studies have used a “black box” approach; the intervention has multiple components but little is known about which of the components drove the observed change. Identifying the mechanisms of change will enhance our ability to develop more effective interventions. Mediation analysis is an advanced statistical method for studying the mediators and moderators of change. Basic mediation modeling tries to determine how and
Figure 2
8 The Score • April 2014
why the independent (X) and dependent variables (Y) are related. Variables that can explain an observed relationship are called mediating variables (M). A mediating variable is intermediate in a causal sequence relating an independent variable to a dependent variable. Figure 2 illustrates a three-wave mediation model with the temporal dimension now viewed as critical for mediation model-ing. The focus is on two paths: β1, the relation between X and M' and β2, the relation between M and Y'. Mediation modeling with longitudinal data is directly related to the understanding of causality.
B.III. Focus on the time dimension. Behavioral science research has been dominated by cross-sectional data (i.e., multiple variables measured on a single occasion). Cross-sectional methods can be used to describe relationships between variables and generate hypotheses, but longitudinal methods are necessary to test be-havior change models. Advances in longitudinal methods require advances in both computational power and estimation of missing data. Examples of longitudinal methods start with early methods like repeated-measures ANOVA, and include longitudinal media-tion models (see above), panel designs, growth curve models, and intensive longitudinal methods like time series analysis (see above). As we implement the growing number of longitudinal models, it is becoming clear that time is a critical variable that is currently not well understood. For example, what is the optimal interval between observations? Does the choice of interval differ by the context or the subject? How does choice of interval vary by the research question? We already know that the choice of interval selected can influence accuracy of conclusions and that longer intervals should produce lower levels of dependency, or autocorrelations for the dependent measure. Beyond the choice of intervals, the number of observations can be determined both by power considerations and the latency of the change process.
Theme C. Changing Focus of Measurement
Telemetrics utilize both passive and active technologies to wire-lessly measure and transmit a variety of data from remote locations. For both classes of equipment, the input or signal is quantified and combined with timing data, resulting in a single data stream for researchers to explore. Telemetrics can be divided into active tele-metrics, such as self-reported cognitive and affective information using handheld devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs) or mobile phones, and passive telemetrics, such as wearable computers and “ubiquitous computing.”
C.I. examples of Active telemetrics. Active telemetrics refers to procedures that involve the active participation of the individual. Data are gathered using devices such as laptop computers, PDAs, and mobile phones equipped with specialized software. These devices enable participants to answer questions about experiences and share cognitive and affective information in natural settings, in real-time (or close to the moment of reported experience), on repeated occasions. Approaches that are sometimes called Com-puterized Experience Sampling Methods (C-ESM) allow people
to either initiate time- and date-stamped self-reports, or respond within a short window when cued by the device. Data are stored on the device and uploaded manually or transferred wirelessly to a master computer.
C.II. examples of Passive telemetrics. Passive telemetrics refers to procedures that do not involve the active participation of the in-dividual. Wearable and ubiquitous computers record behavioral, physiological, and environmental data automatically from sensors worn on the body or embedded in the environment. Examples in-clude wearable computers, where recording devices are attached to an individual and record physiological and behavior data, and ubiquitous computing, where devices are located in the environ-ment. Examples of the former include wireless physiological sensors integrated into the clothing of the individual, miniature actigraphs and accelerometers, audio capture technologies that record auditory events, and infrared sensitive cameras integrated into eye glasses to determine what a user is looking at. Examples of the latter include “living laboratories” and “smart rooms” that wire-lessly and passively monitor surroundings and inhabitant behavior. These employ dense arrays of telemetric sensing devices to record interior conditions such as temperature, humidity, and light; discrete microphones, video cameras, and motion sensors that record verbal statements, activities, and location; Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID) attached to common items to detect person-object interactions; and Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors that can measure a person’s location and movements.
C.III. Social network data. Social network data are the records of social interactions among and within groups of individuals. Some of these communication networks include Wi-Fi communications, the database of past purchases of a company like Amazon, an in-dividual’s history of Google searches, interactions on Facebook, and the record of communications from telephone companies like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Social network data are an example of what is included under the label “Big Data,” and new data management methods are being developed to apply to these extremely large data sets.
Conclusions
Major advances in science are typically fueled by one of three advances: (1) new conceptual models, (2) new technology, or (3) new data. The three themes described here reflect advances in each area. The changing focus of the behavioral sciences to models of behavior change represents a paradigm shift and requires the de-velopment of new conceptual models. Advances in the methods for the analysis of behavioral data are the direct result of advances in computational technology over the last half-century. The focus on new measures, including telemetrics and network data, is providing extensive new sources of data. We should also note that all three areas are synergistic. Each of the three themes is also affecting ad-vances for the others. Together they are creating new opportunities for behavioral statistics and behavior change research.
9 The Score • April 2014
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June 9 - 13, 2014:
5. Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling (Todd D. Little, instructor)6. Foundations of Meta-Analysis (Noel A. Card, instructor)7. Social Network Analysis with Siena (Leslie Echols, instructor)8. Mediation and Moderation: Modern Methods and Approaches (Alexander Schoemann, instructor)9. Structural Equation Modeling and Data Analysis with Mplus (Rens van de Schoot, instructor)
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10 The Score • April 2014
Student’s CornerDivision 5 Student Committee Members
APAGS–dSRN Representative Nazia Rahman [email protected]
Assessment Greg Converse [email protected] Mentor: Ginger Calloway
Awards David DeWester [email protected] Mentor: Lesa Hoffman
diversity Patricia Simon [email protected] Mentor: Eun-Young Mun
Fellowship TBD
Membership Deborah Casper [email protected] Mentor: Noel Card
Program Aaron Boulton [email protected] Mentor: Carol Woods
Public & international Affairs Shuyan Sun [email protected] Mentor: Leigh Wang
the Score Colleen Siti [email protected] Sarah Mills [email protected] Mentor: David Herzberg
Website TBD
By Sarah Mills
My name is Sarah Mills, and I am a third year doctoral student at the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. I work under the men-torship of Drs. Vanessa Malcarne and Elizabeth Klonoff, professors of psychology in the Joint Doctoral Program. As a student editor of The Score, I plan to discuss diverse issues that are relevant for graduate students in psychology.
I will highlight graduate students’ research and interview working psychologists. I will inter-view students who are conducting research in assessment and inquire about how and why they ended up in psychology graduate school, and what they have planned for their futures. I am also interested in the career paths of work-ing psychologists and how satisfied they are in their jobs.
I also plan to write about legislation that will impact psychologists. With the rollout of the new healthcare law, the landscape of service provision is changing, just as many psychology graduate students are entering the field. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act seeks to dramatically reduce the number of Americans without healthcare insurance. Thirty-two million Americans who are currently uninsured are expected to receive coverage. Expanded Medicaid will add 16 million new eligible beneficiaries. The demand for mental health services will greatly exceed the present supply of providers, and the role of clinical psychologist will change under health care reform. I ex-pect that doctoral-level clinical psychologists will take on a more supervisory role, and those with master’s degrees will more often perform therapy services. I will discuss the potential pros and cons of healthcare reform for clinical psychologists. I will also write about the debate over prescription privileges for psychologists.
Perspectives From a Student Editor
With an increasing number of patients needing mental health services, do the terms of this debate change?
I will also discuss how to secure funding in graduate school. Graduate funding may be divided into two broad categories: 1) scholar-ships to pay for program and living costs, and 2) grants funding independent research. Some doctoral programs guarantee funding for all years of the program, paying for the student’s education and providing a living stipend. Other programs cost tens of thousands of dollars, and leave students with large debts. Regardless of the type of program, securing independent funding is critical in demonstrating one’s ability to be a successful researcher. I will report on different forms of program and research funding (e.g., federal, private), and discuss tips from students who have secured National Institute of Health National Research Service Awards as well as fellowships from private institutions such as the Ford Fellowship Foundation.
Additionally, I plan to write about relationships that are made, kept, and lost during graduate school. Upon entering graduate school, professional and personal relationships are developed with advisors and classmates. These relationships are a critical part of a successful and enjoyable graduate school experience.
Because I will express my opinions regularly as student editor, I would like readers to know more about my background. I grew up in Los Angeles, California in a predominantly African-American neighborhood, and attended a private high school in an affluent Caucasian neighborhood. Driving daily to my high school, I noticed stark differences between the two neighborhoods. In the less-affluent African-American neighborhood, there were more ad-vertisements promoting unhealthy behaviors (such as cigarette and alcohol consumption), more liquor stores, and fewer playgrounds
Sarah Mills
11 The Score • April 2014
than in the more-affluent Caucasian area. Although I no longer live in the neighborhood in which I was raised, I still feel connected to that community, and am committed to reducing health disparities for ethnic minorities.
As a graduate student, my research addresses ethnic minority health issues, with a focus on Latinos and African Americans, as well as quality of life issues in patients with scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disease predominantly affecting women. Thus far, much of my research in graduate school has combined my inter-ests in measurement and ethnic minority health disparities. I have evaluated the psychometric properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), an anxiety screening instrument, and the Brief Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (BASH), a brief measure of acculturation, in a sample of 436 Hispanic Americans from a large metropolitan border city. The sample was part of a cross-sectional community-based study evaluating the validity of English and Spanish language measures among Hispanic Americans. The GAD-7 paper is in press in Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, and the BASH paper is under review.
In my work with African Americans, I am recruiting participants to complete an online survey in an effort to better understand the construct of acculturation and how it relates to health behaviors. Additionally, I am conducting a literature review assessing the relationship between acculturation and health behaviors among African Americans, to identify sub-groups at high risk for engaging in unhealthy behaviors.
In a group of patients with scleroderma, I am leading a study examining the reliability and validity of the Satisfaction with Appearance Scale (SWAP) and its short form, the Brief-SWAP, measures of body image dissatisfaction. Few measures are available that assess body image in this population, even though changes in physical appearance are common in patients with this disease. At the annual American Psychological Association conference in 2013, I was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Association of Test Publishers for this research. I am also collaborating on a study comparing the factor structures of the SWAP and Brief-SWAP across patients with two different forms of scleroderma, limited and diffuse systemic sclerosis.
For my dissertation, I plan to examine the relationships among acculturation, the environment, and cancer-risk behaviors (i.e., alcohol, tobacco, and fruit/vegetable consumption) in Hispanic Americans. I will study how 1) person-level acculturation variables relate to cancer-risk behaviors, 2) neighborhood variables relate to cancer-risk behaviors, after accounting for person-level accultura-tion variables, and 3) neighborhood variables impact the relation-ship between person-level acculturation variables and cancer-risk behaviors. Examples of person-level acculturation variables include participants’ subjective social status, religiosity, and place of birth. Neighborhoods will be defined using United States census tracts, considered to be relatively homogeneous units based on popula-tion characteristics (Fry & Taylor, 2012). Neighborhood variables include the density of liquor retail licenses and tobacco outlets within a census tract, and an index of the retail food environment.
Acculturation is critical to the understanding of health-related behaviors among Hispanic Americans. Although there is a posi-tive relationship between socio-economic status and health, and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately represented among the poor, they tend to have better health compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Researchers hypothesize that Hispanic Americans have more favorable health, despite generally low socio-economic status, because of positive health behaviors (e.g., low rates of al-cohol use among women) associated with their culture and norms. Furthermore, as Hispanic Americans become more acculturated to the United States, and adopt customs and behaviors of United States culture, they tend to engage in more adverse health behaviors (e.g., more alcohol use among women) (Abraído-Lanza, Chao, & Florez, 2005).
Research has suggested that more acculturation to the United States is associated with more adverse health behaviors. A critical aspect missing from this research is an understanding of the impact of the environment. It is well known that living environment influ-ences health and health behavior. For example, the availability of healthy foods impacts one’s ability to eat a nutritious diet (Adler & Stewart, 2010). However, few studies have jointly examined how acculturation and the environment relate to health behaviors.
For my proposed dissertation study, I will use multi-level model-ing to explore correlates of cancer-risk behaviors in the previously described sample of 436 Hispanic American adults. A multi-level data structure contains observations at one level of analysis that are nested within observations of another level of analysis. A key component of multi-level modeling is that the data at different levels of analysis are interdependent (Nezlek, 2012). Person-level acculturation variables will be included at the lowest level of the model, and will be nested within participants’ neighborhood data. Examining how level of acculturation and the environment independently and interactively affect cancer-risk behaviors may enhance the development of effective interventions and policies to reduce cancer disparities between Hispanic Americans and other ethnic groups.
References
Abraído-Lanza, A. F., Chao, M. T., & Flórez, K. R. (2005). Do healthy behaviors decline with greater acculturation? Impli-cations for the Latino mortality paradox. Social Science & Medicine, 61, 1243-1255.
Adler, N. E., & Stewart, J. (2010). Health disparities across the lifespan: Meaning, methods, and mechanisms. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1186, 5-23.
Fry, R., & Taylor, P. (2012) The rise of residential segregation by income, Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/08/01/the-rise-of-residential- seg-regation-by-income/.
Nezlek, J. B. (2012). Multilevel modeling for psychologists. In H. Cooper, P. M. Carnic, D. L. Long, A. T. Panter, D. Rink-skopf, K. J. Sher (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology (pp. 219-241). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
12 The Score • April 2014
Have you published a new psychological test or testing product; a book on advanced statistics, measurement, or evaluation; an interesting website or other Internet group related to measurement, statistics, or evaluation; or a computer program useful to Division 5 membership? If so, we would like to include an announcement of about 100 words in this column. We would also appreciate any suggestions, or feedback, on how this section of the newsletter can better serve the Division 5 membership. Please take the opportunity to share information with colleagues through your contributions to this column.
Please send announcements and/or product literature to Associate Editor Michael Edwards: [email protected]
Handbook of developmental Systems theory and MethodologyEdited by Peter C.M. Molenaar, Richard M. Lerner, & Karl M. NewellPublished in december 2013 by Guilford Press ($106.25 hardback/e-Book)
Developmental systems theory offers pow-erful tools for predicting complex, dynamic interactions among biological and environ-mental processes in human behavior and health. This handbook provides a roadmap for integrating key concepts of developmen-tal systems theory (such as self-organization, reciprocal dynamic interaction, and proba-bilistic epigenesis) and simulation models (connectionist and agent-based models) with advanced dynamic modeling approaches for testing these theories and models. Leading developmental science scholars present innovations in research design, measure-ment, and analysis that offer new means of generating evidence-based decisions to optimize the course of health and positive functioning across the life span. Topics include epigenetic development and evolu-tion; the relationship between neural systems growth and psychological development; and the role of family environments in shaping children’s cognitive skills and associated adult outcomes.
r data Analysis Without ProgrammingBy david W. GerbingPublished in december 2013 by Routledge ($49.95 paperback, $160 hardback)
This book prepares readers to analyze data and interpret statistical results using R more quickly than other texts. R is a challenging program to learn because it requires com-puter programming skills. To alleviate that challenge, Professor Gerbing developed lessR extensions, which removes the need to
write code. Using lessR, readers learn how to organize data for analysis, read the data into R, and produce output without perform-ing numerous functions and programming exercises first. With lessR, readers can select the necessary procedure and change the relevant variables without programming. The text reviews basic statistical procedures with the lessR enhancements added to the standard R environment. Through the use of lessR, R becomes immediately accessible to the novice user and easier to use for the experienced user.
Methods of Meta-Analysis: Correcting error and Bias in research Findings (3rd Edition)By Frank L. Schmidt & John E. HunterPublished in February 2014 by Sage ($98 hardback)
Designed to provide researchers with clear and informative insight into techniques of meta-analysis, the Third Edition of Meth-ods of Meta-Analysis: Correcting Error and Bias in Research Findings is the most comprehensive text on meta-analysis avail-able today. It is the only book that presents a full and usable treatment of the role of study artifacts in distorting study results, as well as methods for correcting results for such biases and errors. Meta-analysis is one of the most important methodological innovations in the last thirty-five years, due to its immense impact on the development of cumulative knowledge and professional practice. This text has been revised to cover the newest developments in meta-analysis methods and now includes an expanded discussion of the issues involved in path analyses based on meta-analytic correlation matrices, and an improved presentation of methods for conducting meta-analysis of d values when correcting for artifacts beyond sampling and measurement error. Other topics include detecting and calibrating moderators in meta-analysis, statistical problems in the use of meta-regression, the debate over optimal study weights in meta-analysis, and second-order sampling error in meta-analysis.
(Continued on page 13)
13 The Score • April 2014
The Score is the newsletter of the American Psychological Association’s Division 5—Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics. Division 5 is concerned with promoting high standards in both research and practical application of psychological assessment, evaluation, measurement, and statistics. Approximately half of the Division 5 members are university faculty members in quantitative psychology, psychometrics, educational psychology, or industrial-organizational psychology and half are engaged in careers in industry, including the areas of individual and large-scale assessment. More than 1,000 Division 5 members receive The Score each quarter.
Advertisements in The Score may be in the form of display advertisements or job announcements. Both types of ads can include graphics and other design features and can be submitted as text or camera-ready display art. Prices for advertisements and size requirements are provided in the accompanying table. Submission deadlines are 45 days prior to publication: February 15 for the April issue, May 15 for July, August 15 for October, and November 15 for January. To advertise in The Score, please contact Editor David Herzberg at [email protected].
Advertise in the Score
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2.375" × 9.5"Sixth page 2.375" × 4.75" $90 Free/$55Notes: insertion orders for four consecutive issues receive a 15% discount. First sixth page job ad each year free, thereafter $55.
What’s New ...(Continued from page 12)
nonlinear time Series: theory, Methods, and Applications with r examplesBy Randal douc, Eric Moulines, & david StofferPublished in January 2014 by CRC Press ($99.95 hardback)
This text emphasizes nonlinear models for a course in time series analysis. After introducing stochastic processes, Markov chains, Poisson processes, and ARMA models, the authors cover functional au-toregressive, ARCH, threshold AR, and discrete time series models as well as several complementary approaches. They discuss the main limit theorems for Mar-kov chains, useful inequalities, statistical techniques to infer model parameters, and GLMs. Moving on to HMM models, the book examines filtering and smoothing, parametric and nonparametric inference, advanced particle filtering, and numerical methods for inference.
SQiP Mission and Advances(Continued from page 4)
The program of the conference delved further into the past, present and future of qualita-tive inquiry in psychology, with presentations, discussions and workshops ranging from the philosophy of science to the application of innovative and well-developed qualitative tools. The full program for the conference can be viewed at http://qualpsy.org/events/nycconference2013/program-and-panel-information/.
The new APA journal of the Society, Qualitative Psychology (http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/qua/), published its first issue in March 2013, under the editorship of Ruthellen Josselson. The inaugural issue includes articles by Frederick Wertz on the history of qualitative inquiry in psychology, David Leary on James’ contributions to psychology with qualitative methods, and Lisa Osbeck on sense-making in scientific practice, a view that includes qualitative psychology within the scientific framework. There is also a special section on markers of quality and best practices in qualitative inquiry, with an article by Ken Gergen on the pursuit of excellence in qualitative psychology, an article by Chih-Shen Owen Lo on enhancing groundedness in realist grounded theory research, and an article by Joseph Ponterotto on best practices in psychobiography.
Reference
Gergen, K. (2013). The rugged return of qualitative inquiry in American psychology. The Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Bulletin (of the British Psychological Society), 15, 38-41.