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Psychological Practice (psychological + practice)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Psychology75%

Selected Abstracts

On Acting Against One's Best Judgement: A Social Constructionist Interpretation for the Akrasia Problem

JOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 2 2008
DIEGO ROMAIOLI
Abstract Akrasia is a philosophical concept meaning the possibility to perform actions against one's best judgement. This contribution aims to clarify this phenomenon in terms of a social construction, stating it as a narrative configuration generated by an observer. The latter finds himself engaged in justifying a "problematic" line of action with regard to specific cultural beliefs referring to the self, the others and the behaviour. This paper intends to make explicit the assumptions underlying the traditional definitions of akrasia when, paradoxically, an agent performs an action not in accordance with his/her best judgement. In the transition from modern to post-modern psychology, we here propose an interpretation of the phenomenon in psychological terms, envisaging akrasia as a narrative form functional to the identity processes and to the social dynamics of the structures of contemporary societies. Implications in the psychological practice will be taken into account. [source]

Psychological Interventions in the Context of Poverty: Participatory Action Research as Practice

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2010
Laura Smith
What innovations of socially just psychological practice exist for mental health professionals working in the context of poverty? This article argues for participatory action research (PAR) as a new horizon not only with regard to the creation of knowledge but as a community-based practice/action that promotes the emotional well-being of people surviving poverty and other forms of oppression. After the presentation of this argument, an ongoing PAR project in a poor urban community is described. This article explores its impact on all participants through observations from field notes along with the results of a focus group in which community co-researchers contributed their experiences of PAR. Finally, key practice-related considerations and other implications for mental health practitioners are proposed. [source]

Editing as a psychological practice

THE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
John Beebe
Abstract:, The experience of the Jungian analyst in the role of editor of manuscripts by creative colleagues is examined. Historical precedents include Michael Fordham's editorial correspondence with Jung around the latter's synchronicity essay; Jung's handling of manuscripts submitted by Sabina Spielrein to the Jahrbuch für psychoanalytische und psychopathologische Forschungen and various authors to the Zentralblatt für Psychotherapie und ihre Grenzgebiete, and the author's close editing of a paper submitted by Andrew Samuels to the Journal of Analytical Psychology. In addition to mustering an adequate amount of generosity, erudition, and availability, the analytic editor must know how to clarify a psychological argument and to gauge the psychological impact of the written text. Notwithstanding transference/countertransference phenomena that can emerge around issues of competition, envy, and territoriality when author and editor are also fellow-authors working in the same field, the editor needs to be comfortable about serving as the author's selfobject and midwife. From an analytic perspective, although communicating decisions about the best way to put ideas into words can sometimes attract transference to the editor, the more profound transference that analysts experience in the editing situation is toward the text being edited, which helps to motivate donated time spent caring for journal manuscripts. [source]

Personality Assessment with the MMPI-2: Historical Roots, International Adaptations, and Current Challenges

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, Issue 1 2009
James N. Butcher
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is the most widely used personality test in psychological practice. Although originally developed during the middle of the last century in the United States, its use today extends around the world. The MMPI-2 is a robust measure given its strong empirical tradition and many innovations. Recent years have seen controversial changes to this standard of psychological assessment. New scales were added in 2003 (i.e. the Restructured Clinical or RC Scales) and the Fake Bad Scale (FBS) was included in the MMPI-2 in 2007. A new instrument called the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) was released in 2008 with the RC Scales replacing the well-validated MMPI-2 Clinical Scales; 40 per cent of its items eliminated; a shortened FBS included; and most of its 50 scales introduced for the first time. This article traces the history of the evolving MMPI-2 with special attention to its international applications, and offers a perspective on the radical departure from past MMPI-2 research represented by the RC Scales, FBS, the MMPI-2-RF, and other recent changes to this standard in the field. [source]