IAAP Newsletter

International Association of Applied Psychology:

Newsletter: Volume 7, Issue 2, October 1995.

Contents:

Crucial issues in the field of :

Work & Organizational Psychology: P. H. Dachler

Psychological Assessment: R. Fernández-Ballesteros

Divisional News:

Division of Psychological Assessment and Evaluation

Division of Educational, Instructional & School Psychology

Division of Applied Gerontology

Division of Political Psychology

The International Division of the APA

Editorial: Miriam Erez

This Newsletter has a new column on crucial issues in the field of Organizational Psychology as well as Psychological Assessment.

The provocative paper by Peter Dachler on crucial issues in the field of Organizational Psychology outlines some of our own biases in defining research problems, in avoiding an interdisciplinary perspective, and in overlooking the human characteristic of relatedness, and the dynamic nature of the work environment.

Rocio Fernández-Ballesteros has provided us with a comprehensive review of the most significant developments in the field of Psychological Assessment and Evaluation, and she anticipates some of the future developments in the field.

The purpose of these two articles is to stimulate responses and concerns of the members of our association. Please, send me your letters of response, which will appear in Letters to the Editor in the next issue. My e-mail address is merez@ie.technion.ac.il.

In addition, a new column entitled: What you cannot read in English language Journalswill appear in the next issue. Please send me short abstracts of interesting papers that were published in non-English language journals.

Let's use the Newsletter for sharing our ideas to the benefit of our discipline.

President's Letter: Bernhard Wilpert

IAAP is presently preparing a new computer assisted member directory. Names, addresses, telephone, fax, e-mail address, divisional affiliation and research or practical psychological interests will eventually be covered in such a directory which should be available on diskette. Once completed, it can be obtained by IAAP members and will drastically enhance the opportunities for international cooperation.

José M. Prieto (Madrid) has installed a special IAAP information service on INTERNETunder the name of IAAP-L.

The primary focus of this list

to keep members up to date with events, projects and programs;
to serve as a trigger for action and reaction in IAAP;
to promote new initiatives in the interest of our common goals;
to stimulate cooperation and assistance among IAAP members;
to facilitate the exchange of information;
to initiate discussion of policy, research and practice issues;
to circulate pre-publication drafts of manuscripts;
to advance news and reports from regional events;
to maintain links among members between IAAP congresses (Madrid 1994, San Francisco1998).

At present, anybody may enter the list at any time by connecting to the IAAP server located at http://www.ucm.es/OTROS/Psyap/iaap/zaca.htmlor by sending a SUBSCRIBE

IAAP-L command to mailserv@ucmail.ucm.es.

For more detailed information, see Issue 1, Volume 7, 1995 of the IAAP Newsletter, or sendan e-mail message to: psdif01@sis.ucm.es and José M. Prieto will provide assistance.

Secretary-General's Report: Mike Knowles

Now that Issue 1 of Volume 7 has come into being we are all able to congratulate Miriam Erez as the new Editor of the Newsletter for her excellent achievement. A change in editors is always a chance to bring to bear a fresh outlook and the Newsletter already reflects such a shift in interest, direction and content. We all wish her continuing success in this important office.

Recruiting Drive

1994 was a big year for IAAP, not only because of the Madrid Congress but also on account of the some 750 new members who joined the Association at the time of the Congress to take advantage of all the benefits that IAAP membership offers. In other words, 1994 was a golden year for the Association and, especially from a membership perspective, IAAP has benefited enormously from such a strengthening of its collegiate network and the additional ideas and energies that it has been able to draw upon.

This means that we are in a prime position to capitalize upon this springboard of an enhanced membership and to launch a further recruiting drive to build the Association's membership upto a truly robust level both in terms of absolute members as well as the range of countries from which IAAP'S membership is drawn. This will also lead to a consolidation of the financial base of the Association which, in turn, will enable IAAP to do even more than at present inextending the development of applied psychology especially in low income countries.

Thus, I am delighted to introduce the major initiative of the recruiting drive whereby each member of IAAP is asked to work towards recruiting at least one new member to theAssociation. To help in this please find enclosed an IAAP Membership Application Formwhich briefly describes the Association and its manifold activities, outlines its principal areas ofactivity, and identifies its main office bearers and key people to contact.

While this recruiting drive is aimed at attracting new individual members (Full Members,Student Members, Association Members and Action 100 Members), we are also interested inestablishing a fresh category of institutional member. This concerns international organizations who wish to affiliate with IAAP by virtue of overlapping interests in areas suchas health, education, ergonomics, law and many others. In either case, good luck in your recruiting efforts, and do contact me should you have any questions or need any further details.

Regional Conferences

The IV European Congress of Psychology was recently held in Athens, Greece from 2-7 July. IAAP had a strong presence there with members presenting five invited lectures, two sponsored symposia, and many other symposia and individual papers.

The Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Psychology was also held in Guangzhou, China from27-30 August. Again, IAAP was well represented in both symposia and individual papers.

European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology.

Although this is the official journal of the European Association of Work and OrganizationalPsychology (EAWOP), it is published under the auspices of IAAP by virtue of its providing astrong link between research and professional practice. This new journal will appear in 1996 under the editorship of Peter Herriot (replacing the current journal The European Work andOrganizational Psychologist). IAAP members will be able to subscribe at an attractively reduced subscription rate.

The IAAP in the WWW: José M. Prieto

Dear colleagues: Things are moving fast. The IAAP already has a stable home in the WorldWide Web located at: http://www.ucm.es/OTROS/Psyap/iaap/

This is also the case in what concerns the ENOP whose home page in the World Wide Web islocated at: http:/www.ucm.es/OTROS/Psyap/enop/

Other information and documents about Applied Psychology all around the world are available at the following address: http://www.ucm.es/OTROS/Psyap/

At present the IAAP Newsletters have started to be available in the WWW in the above-mentioned address. This means that we have a printed as well as an electronic version.

At present, also some articles published in the past in Applied Psychology: An InternationalReview and other Journals are available at the following address:http://www.ucm.es/OTROS/Psyap/hispania/

This is the best way to find out future uses, advantages and disadvantages of the WWW to facilitate the exchange of information among members of the IAAP.

6. Divisional News and Reports

Division of Psychological Assessment & Evaluation: Esther Diamond

RESULTS OF DIVISION 2 NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

At a Division 2 meeting during IAAP conference in Madrid last July, members voted in favorof a Needs Assessment Survey to identify main professional interests and activities of respondents, primary theoretical perspectives, assessment and measurement devices used, how they viewed professional organizations to which they belonged, and ways in which Division 2membership has been beneficial, and suggested changes or improvement. Division 2Secretary, Niels M. Bomholt, had major responsibility for composing the survey, soliciting,distributing it, and analyzing the results. This article is his report.

Ninety persons responded to the survey, which was mailed in December 1994. They represented a mix of old and new IAAP members, almost one-fourth being members for four years or less, while others had been members since 1960. For Division 2 established in 1976,the spread was of course narrower.

The main professional activities of respondents are almost equally distributed among research, teaching, and applied fields. Many other fields, however, were indicated by individuals - e.g.,school psychologist, university executive, research management, consulting, forensic evaluation. (Thirteen respondents are retired; none are students).

The main professional focus for practically every respondent is Work/Industrial. Clinical/Health was indicated by approximately one of every four respondents and General(Basic fields), Social Services, and Administration by approximately one of every ten. Other choices indicated by individuals include Vocational Guidance, Sports and Exercise, Cross-Cultural Assessment, Disability, Methodology, Personality, Corporate Psychology, Differential Psychology, Law and Psychology, Traffic Safety.

As for primary theoretical perspectives, 7% indicated Cognitive/Behavioral while Humanism, Behaviorism, Cognition, Eclectic, and Cross-Cultural were indicated by only 7%. Others include Existential, Relational, Social, and Developmental.

Respondents use a variety of measurement devices, techniques, or instruments. Psychometric devices are used by most -- nearly 9 out of 10. Interviews are second most frequently used -74%, followed by Direct Observation (56%), Behavioral (33%), Projective (28%), Neuro-psychological (11%), and Psycho-physiological (11%).

Some make use of accident statistics, psycho-physical and self-concept assessment, simulations and work samples, and a variety of other measures. While 30% of respondents have not attended IAAP and IUPsyS meetings, 44% attended the Madrid congress in 1994,and between 24% and 30% attended the meetings in Brussels, Japan, Australia, and Israel. Division 2 participants who attended these meetings indicated appreciation of symposia, presentation of research, and meeting with colleagues - the latter marked by 59%, closely followed by updating of knowledge, widening of horizons, and receiving information.

Association with Division 2 has been helpful in many ways similar to attendance at Congresses,updating one's knowledge, receiving information and material, widening ones horizons. The main source of appreciation is the written word. In response to an inquiry about theEuropean Journal of Psychological Assessment, two of three respondents expressed their interest -- a fact that has been brought to the attention of the journal distributors.

If an International Congress on Psychological Assessment were to be organized, 33% of respondents said they would attend, and 6% said they would not. More than half indicated conditions that would heavily influence their decision: location, distance, costs, program. A few indicated that use of the French language would be a factor.

What, if anything, has been lacking in Division 2 and what suggestions would enhance itsusefulness? Exactly 50% responded -- most of them expressing overall satisfaction, one stating that Division 2 was the best she or he ever belonged to. Several asked for more contact between Division 2 members, developing a Sense of belonging. Others suggested local workshops and meetings and greater member involvement. More publications, regular and more frequent newsletters, recommended reading, possibility of receiving software, an electronic bulletin board (e-mail) were also recommended. A large number of respondents wishes that more could be done in their particular professional fields.

Asked if they would be interested in serving IAAP Division 2 themselves as committee members or otherwise, by writing, lecturing, or contact persons or conference organizers,39% of respondents said yes and the same percentage said no.

(If you are interested in a sense of belonging in Division 2 and would like to participate in its activities, please send your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and indicate the kind(s)of activities you are interested in - writing for the newsletter ...Other kinds of writing (specify)

...speaking at a local or international meeting

...organizing a symposium or paper session

...being a discussant at a meeting

Other (specify). Please send your responses and comments to the Newsletter Editor: Esther E. Diamond, Ph.D., 721 Brown Ave., Evanston, IL 60202-1907, USA.

TRANSFORMING THEORY AND RESEARCH WITH WOMEN

In what ways have feminist perspectives and scholarship transformed psychology in particular areas? Some answers to this question form the subject of a special issue (Vol. 18, No. 4) of Psychology of Women Quarterly. The issue was edited by Judith Worell, University of Kentucky, and Claire Etaugh, Bradley University. The articles included in the issue present the research and thinking of feminist scholars from a variety of related backgrounds.

In their introductory article, the editors present six guiding themes and their variations, derived from a view of sources in feminist thought:

1. Challenging the Tenets of Traditional Scientific Inquiry: For example, restructuring the subjective-objective polarity and admitting a range of research methods, including qualitative, quantitative ethnographic, and other methods of data gathering which may reveal unique information.

2. Focus on the experience and lives of women: For example, studying them apart from the standard of male as norm, and questioning the category of woman as representative of all women rather than as sources of variation - racial, socioeconomic, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

3. Reviewing Power Relations on the Basis of Patriarchal Political Social Arrangements: For example, recognizing that women's subordinate status in society is based on unequal distribution of power rather than on women's deficiencies, and exploring the dimensions of power as influences on the quality of women's lives.

4. Recognizing Gender as an Essential Category of Analysis: For example, pointing out the multiple conceptions of gender and challenging its use only as an independent variable that explains observed behavior.

5. Attention to the Use of Language: For example, restructuring language to be inclusive of women, rejecting the generic masculine and promoting gender-free language.

6. Promoting Social Activities Toward the Goal of Societal Change: For example, reconceptualizing theories, methods, and goals to encompass possibilities for social changes and reduction of power asymmetries

BRITAIN'S COMPETENCE-BASED STANDARDS FOR TEST USERS

The Steering Committee on Test Standards (SCTS), established by the British Psychological Society (BPS), charged with developing and implementing standard for the use of psychological tests at several different levels for occupational, clinical, and educational tests, has just completed the first stage of its work - the Level A standards and certification scheme for occupational testing. Barbara Ellis, Editor of the Newsletter of the International Test Commission (ITC) Newsletter explains in the June 1995 issue that occupational testing required special attention because it is the only area in which tests other than measures of attainment are used on a large scale by people who are not psychologists and who may have little or no background or training in testing. The Committee's concern, in addition to defining test-user standards, was mainly the development of mechanisms that would affect test-user behavior positively. A competence-bases approach to test-user certification, combined with a test-user registration system, emphasizes the competence of test use rather than the means by which competence is attained.

Standards are defined in the form of specific outcomes expressed as explicit, relevant performance criteria. Competence assessors receive detailed guidance regarding what constitutes evidence of an individual's being able to meet the standards. Level A standards deal with basic test theory and the use of tests of ability and aptitude. Level A certification has received widespread support and endorsement from publishers, trainers, and other professionals associated with occupational testing. It has also been used as a basis for specifying standards in government contracts.

Level B has been designed to complement Level A; together, the two sets of standards define the competent user of psychological tests in occupational settings. level B standards are divided into nine units that address three broad categories of competence: foundation knowledge, test use, and test choice and evaluation.

The SCTS is now working on broadening the competence approach to cover clinical and educational testing. This approach is likely to lead to the development of separate qualifications for occupational, clinical, and educational testing. The SCTS hopes to develop a number of common core units that may be coupled with specific units related to different areas of practice.

HERE AND THERE IN ASSESSMENT

The ritual of null hypothesis significance testing - declaring .05 a sacred criterion dictating mechanical dichotomous decisions - is almost universally misinterpreted but still persists after four decades. It is strongly criticized in The Earth Is Round, (p<.05) by Jacob Cohen in theDecember 1994 issue of American Psychologist. Among several suggestions for reportingeffect size, Cohen recommends use of confidence limits, which contain all the information to be found in significance tests and much more... ... A problem confronting counselors is the restrictive laws in a number of states in the USA that make it illegal for certified/licensed counselors to administer and interpret psychological tests.

Peter Merenda, a former Division 2 president and now a member of its executive board, as a member of the Association for Assessment in Counseling (AAC) of the American CounselingAssociation (ACA), is planning a symposium at the 1996 ACA convention in Pittsburgh on the various assessment instruments used by counselors and the appropriate training and qualifications for their legitimate use. Counselors maintain that psychologists do not have legal ownership of psychological tests and that the basic requirement for their use is adequacy of formal training in psychological assessment by legitimate professionals - not exclusively psychologists.

Suggested reading:: If you've wondered about the bell curve and about Herrnstein and Murray's pronouncement of the existence of a new cognitive-economic elite in America based on intelligence and equal access to higher education (The Bell Curve, 1994, Free Press), the review of the book by Ernest R. House and Carolyn Haug in the Summer 1995 issue of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis should provide help in the form of a series of critiques of the author's main premises.; Also recommended is Themes and Variations in Validity Theory, by Pamela A. Moss,University of Michigan, in the Summer 1995 issue of Educational Measurement: Issues andPractice. As the testing community faces a revision of the 1985 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, the author raises very pertinent and thoughtful questions to consider: Is construct validity central to all validation efforts as opposed to construct-/content/criterion-related categorization of validity evidence? Should the concept of validity include consideration of the consequences of test use?

Division of Educational, Instructional & School Psychology: Allison Elliot

LETTER FROM DIVISION'S PRESIDENT: ERIK DE CORTE

At the IAAP Congress in Madrid, I took over the office of President from Gabi Salomon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gabi for the efforts during his four years of presidency to enlarge and strengthen our Division. The results of these efforts were visible inthe substantial active participation of the Division in the Madrid-Congress, as is shown belowin Allison Elliot's report about the activities at the Congress.

PREPARING FOR THE 1998 IAAP CONGRESS IN SAN FRANCISCO

Although it looks still quite removed in time, the preparations for the next IAAP Conferencehave already started. As the Congress is organized just two years before the magic year 2000,it is not surprising that the central theme will be: The challenge for applied psychology: Bridging the millennia.

Given this theme, the Scientific Committee would like to have symposia and sessions thatfocus on past achievements as well as future perspectives.

Therefore, our Division is expected to organize at least one session that represents this central theme.

In addition the Executive Committee of the Division proposes the following list of themes around which symposia will be organized:

Psychological aspects of education in the age of technology.
Applying educational psychology to the improvement of schooling (in fact this topic strongly relates to the main theme of the Congress).
Learning to learn and teaching how to learn.
Transfer of knowledge and skills: A holy grail?
Integrating cognitive and affective/motivational components of learning processes.
Psychology of learning in different subject-matter areas.

However, this list should only be considered as suggestive, and not as exclusive. In otherwords, those members who intend to submit proposals on other topics that fit into the scientific domains of the Division are strongly encouraged to do so. Our objective is to be represented still more strongly at the San Francisco Congress than in Madrid. members are invited to forward from now on their ideas and suggestions to Paul Pintrich, the Representative of our Division in the Scientific Program Committee of the 1998 IAAP, or tome (at the addresses mentioned below).

SHARING KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT URGENT INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETAL PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.

In the April 1995 issue of this Newsletter (see p. 2) the Editor has announced the initiative to publish in the forthcoming issues of the Newsletter reviews of the Most important issues that attract the attention and effort of psychologists in the respective Divisions, and potential solutions that are being implemented. In view of putting together such a review about the domains of our Division, I solicit the membership to send me short notes (about one page) concerning their views on the most crucial problems of education and schooling in their part ofthe world, as well as on recommended solutions.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS AT THE MADRID CONGRESS

The Division of Educational, Instructional and School Psychology conducted a lively and stimulating scientific program at the Madrid Conference reflecting the significant and innovative research generated by members around the world.

Keynote Addresses were presented by David Berliner (USA), Eric de Corte (Belgium), BobGlaser (USA), Ingrid Lunt (UK) and Boris Velichkovsky (Russia) and covered themes as diverse as expert pedagogues, domain orientation in instruction, relations between theory and application in education. European perspectives on educational psychology and dimensions of human-robotic interaction.

The Keynote Addresses were complemented by 25 Symposia. 17 Thematic Sessions, some178 Posters and several Workshops and Problem-solving sessions. major foci for papers included learning difficulties, behavioral disorders, technology and learning, metacognition and self-regulation, cooperative learning, cultural contexts for learning, measuring values, Vygotskian perspectives on learning, motivation, action theory, thinking skills and vocational counseling.

The Presidential Address by outgoing Division President Gabi Salomon considered the importance of examining individuals in sociocultural contexts focusing on whole learning environments, rather than single and isolated variables.

Recipient of the Division Award for Outstanding Scholarship was Professor Claire Weinsteinfrom the USA.

Division of Applied Gerontology: Peter Weissenberg

Our division had several well attended events in Madrid. At that time I took over as president and Dr. Frances Culbertson of Mental Health Assoc. in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. became pres-elect. Dr. Robert Morgan, a past pres. Proposals for the 1998 congress either to Dr.Morgan at phone No. 415-387-78321, 53715, U.S.A., Fax: 608-256-4449. As president I would like to see our energy devoted to looking for applied sound solutions to the problems of utilizing the skills and talents of older adults in meaningful and economically rewarding way.

Many other nations still allow myths and unfounded biases to interfere with the utilization oftheir older citizens. Please, share with me your experience. My tel. number is in the U.S.,609-225-6231, E-mail is Weissenberg@cancer.rutgers.edu. I look forward to hearing from all of the division's members and to your contributions to our next program.

Division of Political Psychology: Klaus Boehnke

The Executive Committee of the Division of Political Psychology met on the occasion of theForth International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace in Capetown,South Africa. Members present were president M. Brewster Smith, secretary Klaus Boehnke,and the division's representative on the program committee for the San Francisco International Congress of Applied Psychology in 1998, Michael Wessells. Matters discussed were the handling of program choices for the 1998 congress, prospects and financial status of the divisional newsletter, and matters concerned with the edition of a special issue on PoliticalPsychology for Applied Psychology: An International Review. The divisional newsletter will be sent out to members and participants of the Madrid congress, who signaled interest, at the end of August 1995. The financial status of the Division is more than pure. The Newsletter could not be produced and posted were it not for the assistance given by the secretaries home institution.

FOR STARTING AN INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF PSYCHOLOGYOF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

We already have 500 signatures, but we need 200 more signatures of APA members to present our application for a division to the APA Council. if you agree with us that there is a need for such a division and you would be interested in joining it, please sign below. Our purpose starting this division is:

To encourage US psychologists to get to know psychologists in foreign countries, and for them to know us.
To publish a bulletin for all division members and associate members in foreign countries.
To assist psychologists who are doing intercultural research to get to know psychologists in other countries who are working on problems they themselves are interested in for possible collaboration.
To discuss psychological assessment and treatment models as they are practiced in foreign countries and exchange ideas with clinical psychologists abroad.
For those of our members who are traveling abroad:
- to find opportunities meeting foreign psychologists in the country they are traveling to,
- to plan to give lectures or workshops abroad.
To hear from psychologists abroad who are interested in visiting US universities, want to give lectures or workshops or are looking for temporary placements.
To make contact with psychologists when planning to attend conferences abroad, or to bethe contact person for foreign psychologists visiting the US.
We are very concerned to adopt a very conservative approach for the financial support ofthis division.
We shall work together with the APA Committee on International Relations along the linesabove.

I am an APA member/ fellow and wish to support the establishment of an APA division ofInternational Psychology, and agree to become a member of this new division upon its establishment.

Print name and address:

Signature: ...............................................

Return to Ernst G. Beier, Ph.D., Dept. Psychol., University of Utah, Salt Lake ,City, Utah84112; Tel. and FAX: 801 255 7591

or to: Frances M. Culbertson Ph.D., ABPP, Mental Health Associates, 20 So.Park St.,Madison, WU, USA.