Psychology Course Critique

• Did you submit your first class assessment? It will be read and discussed in the following class.

• Email directly instead of sending messages through Canvas. Canvas is only checked a couple of times a week.

• Permits will not be issued; only the waitlist will be used.

• The Psyc Department added "traditional" to the course title several years ago.

• The implication regarding "traditional" theories is that they are obsolete, passé, and inferior.

• This thinking is based on prejudices and narrow-mindedness. It reflects a narcissistic view that certain areas of psychology are better / more real.

• The goals for the course include demonstrating that these theories are useful and not merely historical artifacts.

• The changed course title is considered bogus.

• A Ph.D. in clinical psychology was obtained from the University of Connecticut.

• Julian B. Rotter strongly influenced teaching.

• Teaching at CSUF since 1992.

• Coordinator of the M.S. program from 1997-2023.

• Department chair from 2008-2014

• Teaching in the M.S. clinical program, including Graduate Theories (Psyc 547) and Fieldwork (Psyc 594A & B).

• There is practical application of theories to clinical cases.

• A Fulbright was completed Fall 2016 at the University of Tokyo Department of Clinical Psychology

• Theories of Personality were taught to Japanese grad students, and research was conducted.

• Time was spent in Japan for 9 weeks in Fall 2024.

• There were lectures given at several universities on U.S. clinical psychology and its application to Japan.

• Topics included how well the Western approach works in Japan and how culture influences psychotherapy.

• A book on Rotter's approach to personality test construction was completed.

• The most current self-report psych measurement is considered terrible.

• There's a replication crisis in psychology.

• Results from much important psych research over the last 50 years can't be repeated.

• Much blame is placed on bad measurement (Flake et al., 2017, in press; Lilienfeld & Strother, 2020).

• Retirement is planned for June 2025

• After 33 years at CSUF and a desire to have this semester be great.

• Class topics include theories and their functions, syllabus, personality and culture, effective psychotherapy, construct and referent, generality vs. specificity, scientific definition, and culture and theory.

• "Theory" is defined as a network of words connected by hypotheses.

Definition of a Theory

• Official definition is very simple: network of words

• Connected by hypotheses

• How you would characterize responses

• Tend to be very abstract.

• More what you can do with a theory than actually defining what a theory is

• The number of facts in a room right now is infinite.

• Decisions must be made about what facts are worth attending to and what information is irrelevant.

• There's a need to make sense of an extremely complex environment and organize facts/information/observations.

• Theories structure situations so that they can be made sense of and simplify chaotic experience.

Functions of Theories for Psychologists

• Language for description: theories provide a set of terms to enable communication about people/clients.
• Explanation of development over time: theories explain how past experiences impact current behavior.
• Future predictions: theories predict how people will behave under certain circumstances/react to situations, acknowledging individual differences.
• Explanation of therapeutic change: theories explain how interventions change clients' behavior.

Clients Behavior and Intervention

• Theory links observations with treatment in a conceptual way.
• Theory guides the observations in the first place
• Theory formulates hypotheses about how a technique changes some behavior, and justifies such interventions.

Reading

• Readings are background/flavor of the author's original work. Don't memorize, just know the main ideas.

• If something is discussed in class, know more thoroughly

• Articles/chapters are posted on Canvas so keep up and don't get behind, especially the Malcolm book, which will be discussed in Week 5.

• Questions about the syllabus are welcome.

• The class aims to survey important theories of development and therapeutic change.

• The first topic is what theories are and how to evaluate their usefulness.

• Primarily grand theories will be covered.

• Grand theories explain all people in all situations and historically come from the 1880s to 1970s.

• Current psych is more focused on mini-theories

• Mini-theories are focused on a specific type of person, characteristic, pathology, or method of treatment, or purely research intent.

One Big Lesson from Buddhism

• "One big lesson from Buddhism is to be suspicious of the intuition that your ordinary way of perceiving the world brings you the truth about it" -Why Buddhism Is True, Robert Wright.

• This principle is consistent with approaches to clinical psychology, from psychodynamic to CBT. The goal is to correct people's unrealistic/irrational views of the world.

• It's consistent with the scientific method in general. It strives for objectivity through the collection of data and overcomes subjective bias.

• The goal for this class is to train minds to look at the world differently

• Take on perspectives of different personality theories to structure our perceptions.

• There is no absolutely "good" or "true" personality theory.

• Instead, talk about "usefulness" for a particular purpose such as description and prediction, conducting research, and guiding psychotherapy.

Cultural Perspective

• Definition: "Individual's characteristic, relatively stable ways of thinking, experiencing, and behaving".
• From a cultural perspective, this definition is not universal. It is a very Western/European view.
• A universal view does not exist

Internal vs External causes

• Internal, individual personality dictates actions.

• Asia is more likely to focus on environment or social context than on individual as cause of behavior.

• Nisbett reading: Western view of personality says people are composed of discrete characteristics and are always the same person.

• You behave because of who you are. Internal characteristics dictate actions.

• Maturation in the West means developing one's individuality fully and expressing it. It is fulfilling own desires, even at the expense of others.

• Eastern view of personality says people are defined more by their relationships with others.

• Interdependent vs. independent: Who you are changes depending on social context.

• It can be difficult to define oneself in the abstract or what kind of person you are, but can describe how one is with friends vs. family.

• Maturation in the East means subsuming one's individuality for the benefit of the group.

• Neglect own desires to promote others' well-being.

• Lehrer (2010) "The Truth Wears Off" reading is recommended.

• It covers the replication crisis in psychology and other sciences.

• Empirical research may not be true. Collecting data does not completely protect us from accepting incorrect ideas.

• One published study is probability that it is a "truth"?

• Needed to look at the big picture over the long term.

• The advent of meta-analysis revolutionized therapy outcome research in the last 25 years.

• It overcomes inadequacies of individual studies by combining a large number of studies together.

• 50% improve after 7 sessions of psychotherapy.

• 50% recover after 18 to 21 sessions of psychotherapy.

• 75% recover after about 50 sessions of psychotherapy.

• The CBT/Learning approach as superior is found to be not so great

• It's based on faulty data and reasoning.

• Short-term dynamic therapy of 20 sessions is as effective.

What Makes Therapy Work?

• "It will not generally matter which kind of psychotherapy is offered as long as it is a bona fide theory-driven intervention" (p. 43).
• CBT is most effective when focused on narrow goals.
• Therapists & clients generally seek broader outcomes than just symptom remission
• Change the organization of personality/self/relationships
• Improve overall life adjustment
• Early improvement accounts for much later success
• Change in first few sessions accounts for 40% of overall outcome.
• This is related to clients' openness/cooperation/motivation.
• Aspects of a therapeutic relationship are important
• Therapist characteristics and theoretical orientation account for less than 1% of the ultimate outcome
• Particulars of who it does, matters less than receiving professional therapy in a professional setting
• Probably important to match orientation to particular clients.
• There is no empirical basis for this matching
• Have to use clinical judgment.
• Also, match of client with therapist characteristics is probably important.
• Rotter talked about the need for matching back in 1954 .
• There is no data yet on who works best with whom.

Characteristics of Therapists

• Four characteristics of effective therapists:

1. Able to form alliances across range of clients.

• Bond between therapist and client; agreement about goals and therapeutic tasks.

2. Facilitative interpersonal skills

• Verbal fluency, emotional expression, persuasiveness.
• Hopefulness, warmth, empathy, problem focus.

3. Experience self-doubt

• About effect on client; how best to deal with client.

• Probably related to problem-solving approach/openness.

• What is NOT related to therapist effectiveness:

• Professional degree.

• Ph.D. not inherently better than MS.

• Years of experience.

• Theoretical orientation.

• Strict adherence to treatment protocol.

• Competence at delivering a particular treatment.

• Interpersonal skills & quality of the therapeutic relationship is key. ✓ Relationship with therapist may be best relationship client has ever had. . Restorative power of professional relationship.

Good Vs Evidence Based Practices

• Or, evidence-based practices (EBP).

• The EBP designation means: -is some research evidence that these techniques help some clients get better. What does research need to show for EBP?

• Certain number of studies – the treatment succeeds at better than chance level. •. For certain problems among certain clients

• Does empirical validation prove a technique works for all types of clients...for all problems?

• No, just for whatever groups and whatever disorders it's been validated for. • Often elect the clients in highly controlled situations.

• Even for those in the validated group with the validated disorder, will it work for all cases? Only better than a chance likelihood it will work for any given individual. There's an argument against empirical validation •Just means there's not yet evidnece and not mean they're invliad

• Have to match technique to the individual client (because it has not been validated)

• Always try the EBP first (because good to make sure the best practice is being utilized)

• If it doesn't work, have to have other approaches to fall back on. -A way to know multiple theories is important.

• Definition: "a postulated attribute of people" such as any variable - building blocks of personality theories. Theories abstract information from events -We invent words to constructs of common aspects of several events

• Word doesn't equal to the whole event therefore there is confusion therefore the world does mean there is an event in the world In other words, implication of the constructs: poor theories are made up of poor words

Prominence of disease Model

• Theories are networks/collections of words that are used to create constructs

• Medical and physicalogical basis for mental problems which are brain Words are determined or behavior as psychologist and the key Buddhism quote: Be supiscioius of the intuition that you' ordinary way of of perceiving thr world eill bring you truth

• Gate, behindwhich is attractive toy

• 3 year oldswent directly for the toy

• all otherowrds are invented

• abstactional

• constructs

• Psychologists fight over the invented words

• It is almsot lile words are thing and not abstractions which leads to confusion

• Someone defines word = thing is discovered

• Psychologist don't discorve, they invent abstractions

• All words by psuchologist are constructs Poor good theoroy made

• Good theoies are specific and clear about they pertain too Assumptions

• Wrong words of wrong Methods

• Our wowrds will lead to bhevaior and the psycologist

• Best test is ehter the construct predcits other event as well as be realiable

• must be be measureable - qunatififble (what would you use)

• not measurabele usefull?

• Have minimal overlap with other constructs

• Different words shouldn't mean same thing - efficient
• Problem: aspects of event – not always distinct

Referent what does it point

• prediction of ones relates fromthe contruscts Levels of abstroanction
• specific vs abstract
• more conrect vs

Greater the chance referents will get predict to eacOther

Narrower

1. Know a person is not a hostile persona, how will we get to more peope

3. A perso nhatres george

Good throry-useboth genral and sprciif constructs

• linkes to gether-get bensfits and use

View Points from theory

• The viewpoints can be physical. Common sense desctiptions The common sense theory

1. Physical
2. Comminise
3. 3. meanings and intents- realm of psyc All constucr are inventer that not physical different fileds of sceicne for differen points of views

Detrmien constuct represent by definition A cosutcr mean waht they defer to our definitions made great theory for good words All constuctu has 3 deifintion

• ideal, dictionary use for language systemstic-define for other consstuct

Surplus meaning-inturtive understanding

1. everys definces in term
2. systemmatic is in consructed
3. oeraptions in eamring meaning measur

• crietria for good operations What has to be in oerpatinos

Theory-system of constucts More systematic systematic dertminations broad gerneratios

• Goo oerpaton deterions you do wjat

Vesteren and suthwest Very sernrn abstart theroiyw ill exmain exeryonr Westereith it right it simple Aasan are ooisite world ia s cer ycompllex

Western foicds iclarity and diectress lanyge Aan laungue cannot sldou not explaine frillu Fundamentaly cututral incompuatblity reage theory

Wesnter i if the eahve right rulls all evenst follows the evnt Asain-simplifying ignores