American Psychological Association Guidelines Research Articles

Self-assessment using American Psychological Association Guidelines 3.0: A strategy for college and career success.

Self-assessment using American Psychological Association Guidelines 3.0: A strategy for college and career success.

The Use of Non-Person-First Language in Consecutive General Ophthalmology Referrals

To investigate the prevalence of non-person-first language (PFL) in consecutive general ophthalmology referrals to a single tertiary ophthalmology clinic. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Participants included Ophthalmology patients seen for their initial visit to a single tertiary ophthalmology clinic from July 2018 to December 2022. Ten randomly selected referrals from each day were screened for non-PFL as per the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association guidelines. Non-PFL was further categorized into general, diabetes, stigma, obesity, or ageism subcategories. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate associations between non-PFL use and referring provider gender and specialty, length of referral, and patient age and gender. A total of 2625 referrals were included in the study and 136 (5.2%) used non-PFL, such as referring to a person with diabetes as a "diabetic". Error types included Diabetes (38.2%), Stigma (30.9%), General (23.5%), Disability (8.8%), and Obesity (4.4%). Year of referral was predictive of non-PFL (P = .0016), with most occurring in 2020 (9.5%). Non-PFL was significantly more likely to occur in long length referrals compared to medium and short length referrals (16.2% vs. 5.1% vs. 3.5%, P < .001). Referring provider specialty was also predictive of non-PFL (P < .001) with most received by Family Medicine (8.3%), Optometry (4.4%), Emergency Medicine (0.62%), Ophthalmology (4.2%), Others (2.9%). Patient gender (P = .5563), patient age (P = .3466), and referring provider gender (P = .9057) were not predictive of non-PFL. Non-PFL use was most prevalent in 2020, with the most common referral sources being Family Medicine and Optometry. The highest proportions of non-PFL errors made were diabetes and stigma errors. Increased use of PFL in physician-physician communication can decrease intersectional stigma and promote inclusive patient care for ophthalmology patients.

The APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Sexual Minority Persons: An executive summary of the 2021 revision.

This article provides an executive summary of the American Psychological Association (APA)-approved Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Sexual Minority Persons (American Psychological Association, APA Task Force on Psychological Practice with Sexual Minority Persons, 2021). These Guidelines were produced at the request of the APA Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (Division 44) and the APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (CSOGD) who, in 2018, jointly established a new task force to revise the 2010 Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients. This article provides a summary of the conceptual foundations that influenced these Guidelines, as well as an overview of the complete Guidelines. We highlight major changes in structure and new content areas. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the Differences Between Practice Articles and Applied Research Articles

Understanding the Differences Between Practice Articles and Applied Research Articles

Hegemonic masculinities in the ‘Manosphere’: A thematic analysis of beliefs about men and women on The Red Pill and Incel

AbstractWebsites, blogs, and message boards of the “manosphere” are dedicated to a worldview that celebrates hegemonic masculinity and decries feminism. In a reflexive thematic analysis of 227 posts (389,189 words) from two manosphere message boards (The Red Pill and Incel), we analyzed how posters viewed women and men. We found that beliefs about women and men formed an ideology comprised of (a) evolution‐based views of gender essentialism, (b) an informal psychology of women's motivations, and (c) a typology of men. Women were seen as having three primary motives: to deceive and manipulate men, to promiscuously satisfy their own sexual needs, and to trade sex for power. Men were seen as falling into two (The Red Pill) or three (Incel) types: alpha men who are attractive, powerful, and sexually successful, beta men who give to women as their only route to sexual interactions, and incel (involuntarily celibate) men who are too unattractive to achieve sexual success. Posters acted on these beliefs either to improve themselves (The Red Pill) or give up on life and endorse suicide and/or violence (Incel). We discuss these beliefs and actions in relation to theories of sexual aggression, the psychology of radicalization, and the American Psychological Association's Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.

Exploring How Undergraduate Psychology Majors Seek Information and Experiences for Career Preparation

Background American Psychological Association Guidelines for Undergraduate Education (2013) encourage workforce preparation among undergraduate students, and the field of psychology has implemented this recommendation in various ways. Objective The present study investigated what sources undergraduate psychology students use to find information about and experiences they seek in preparation for their future careers, and what characteristics are associated with this process. Method Undergraduate participants ( N = 354) described the number and type of sources from which they sought information and experiences on careers, and also provided demographic information (e.g., academic achievement). Results Participants primarily used the Internet, advice from friends/family, and a career orientation course to find information, with higher academic achievement predicting the use of more sources. They sought a variety of experiences to enhance career opportunities (e.g., volunteering), with academic achievement and class standing as positive predictors of seeking more of such experiences. Conclusion To maximize students’ success, psychology departments should show students everything that the department and university have to offer by way of career information and preparation. Implications Departments should encourage students to use resources within the psychology department, include career information in orientation courses, in addition to regularly encouraging familiarity with on campus career centers.

Empirical research methods department: Mission, learnings, and future plans

Empirical research methods department: Mission, learnings, and future plans

The revised 2019 standards for psychopharmacological training: Model education and training program in psychopharmacology for prescriptive authority.

The American Psychological Association (APA), under the oversight of the Board of Educational Affairs, and the Board of Professional Affairs, is responsible for the education and training of psychologists in prescriptive authority. All APA standards and guidelines are required by Association Rule 30-8.3 to be revised at least every 10 years. The standards for training psychologists in the safe and responsible practice of prescribing psychotropic medication have been recently updated (Model Education and Training Program in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority, APA, 2019). A departure from the 1996 and 2009 versions of that document is that training may now be conducted at the doctoral level; however, a postdoctoral supervised clinical fellowship can only occur after the attainment of licensure as a practicing psychologist. Two novel features of the 2019 revision are the use of a competency-based model of learning and assessment, and increased emphasis on supervised clinical experiences in physical assessment and medication management. By the time of completion of their fellowships, practicing psychologists are expected to have clinical competence in the measurement and interpretation of vital signs; neurological examination; therapeutic drug monitoring; systems of care; pharmacology; clinical pharmacology; psychopharmacological research; and finally, professional, ethical, and legal issues. The updated standards were approved as APA policy in February 2019. This article briefly reviews the revision process and highlights the updates made in the most recent version of the standards. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Measuring What Students Know: SNAP’s Guidelines and Suggestions for Assessing Goal 1 Content in Psychology

Although many psychology departments and instructors are aware of the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major Version 2.0, they are often less aware of the means by which to assess student mastery of the recommended goals. Our purpose is to discuss general principles for assessment, offer a psychology learner taxonomy that aligns with Goal 1 of the Guidelines 2.0, and present a rubric for reviewing assessments. Goal 1 of the Guidelines 2.0 is based on content knowledge in psychology. Whereas most assessments allow for the measure of the mastery of content to different extents, the results of those assessments can be invalid due to the design or inappropriate use of the rubric. The working group at the Summit on National Assessment of Psychology addressed these issues and curated evidence-informed assessment exemplars designed to measure content knowledge in psychology.

Context Matters: Outcome Assessments for Associate’s Degree Psychology Programs

The article highlights the importance and challenges of identifying program-level outcome assessment strategies for associate’s degree psychology programs. We discuss the value of such program outcomes for quality assurance, improved teaching and learning, and efficient transfer. However, as we document, there is little uniformity in the psychology courses offered in associate’s degree programs, which are tailored to the unique context of the institution. As a result, the foundational outcomes offered in the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 2.0 may not apply to all institutional contexts. The Associate’s Integration subcommittee of the Summit on National Assessment in Psychology developed new outcomes aligned to the foundational ones in Guidelines 2.0 to address the need for assessments across all institutional contexts. We conclude with suggestions for future discussion, research, and policy regarding program assessment for associate’s degree students.

Parents and Children Facing the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak imposes to Italian families many changes in their daily life. Mainly, school and other educational services are closed, and everyone, particularly children, is banned to leave homes. The present study aimed to explore the effect of risk factors associated with the pandemic experience on parents and children well-being. Methods: Parents of 2 to14 years old children completed an on-line survey reporting their home environment condition, the contact they had with the pandemic consequences, and the difficulties experienced due to the quarantine. Moreover, they compiled questionnaires evaluating their perception of individual and parent-child dyadic stress, and children emotional and behavioral symptoms. Findings: Results evidenced that the perception of the strain of the quarantine is a crucial factor that undermines both parents and children well-being. Quarantine’s impact on children behavioral and emotional problems is mediated by parent’s individual and dyadic stress with a stronger effect of the latter. Parents who reported more difficulties in dealing with quarantine show more individual and dyadic stress. This, in turn, increases children psychological symptoms. Living in a more at-risk area, the quality of home environment, or being in closer contact with the pandemic consequences, do not have effect on families’ well-being. Interpretation: Dealing with quarantine is a particular stressful experience for parents who have to balance personal life, work, and children upbringing, without other helping sources. This situation puts parents at a higher risk of experiencing distress, potentially impairing their ability to be supportive caregivers. The lack of support these children receive in such a difficult moment may be the reason of their higher psychological symptoms. Policies should take more into consideration the implications of the lockdown for families’ mental health, and supportive intervention for the immediate and the future should be promoted. Funding Statement: The authors received no specific funding for this work. Declaration of Interests: Authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the ethical commitment of the Department and was conducted according to American Psychological Association guidelines in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration.

Differences in International Guidelines Regarding EMDR for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Why They Diverge and Suggestions for Future Research

In the last 24 months, three separate practice guidelines for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have emerged from well-respected organizations that differed in the degree to which they recommend eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as a treatment. An international guideline was published by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), and national guidelines were published by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE). ISTSS reported that EMDR was effective and as potent as the best available therapies we can currently provide. NICE was more circumspect, and APA suggested other treatments had a stronger evidence base. In this review we focus on how these differences emerged and highlight the role of the time when the analysis was conducted, differences in inclusion criteria, and errors in determining appropriate measures. The 2017 APA guidelines were found to have the least validity when all these factors were considered. However, the fact that evaluating EMDR research is susceptible to such variations in methodology highlights certain research priorities that are then discussed.

American Psychological Association Guidelines for Clinical Supervision: Competency-Based Implications for Supervisees

The American Psychological Association’s “Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in Health Service Psychology,” as well as the extant supervision literature, focus on supervisees’ competencies in their roles as therapist–professionals, and on the competencies of clinical supervisors. We consider two questions: What are the implications of the Guidelines for health service psychology supervisees in their roles as supervisees (vs. as therapists)? How can supervisees empower themselves to be proactive in making effective use of clinical supervision? We then outline a competency-based approach by focusing on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for supervisees in clinical supervision. We suggest that the competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) required to be an effective supervisee are distinct from existing competencies that focus on the supervisee as a therapist–professional. Our intent is to delineate competency-based implications of the Guidelines for supervisees, as well as to educate and empower them to become proactive collaborators and participants in clinical supervision.

Introduction to Psychology

A robust literature has explored multiple facets of the introductory psychology course, but few studies have examined its purposes, student learning outcomes (SLOs), and assessment practices. The second iteration of the Undergraduate Study in Psychology gathered data on these facets in a nationally representative sample of associate ( n = 62) and baccalaureate psychology programs ( n = 161). Most department chairs indicated that their intro course served as both an introduction to the major and a general education function. Approximately one third of programs incorporated the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 2.0 in their entirety or with minor changes to develop their SLOs for the introductory course. Written assignments and professor-developed quizzes/exams were the most frequently used assessment methods. Discussion centers on how these results may be used by teachers of introductory psychology.

Liberation of Bisexual Consciousness: Maneuvering Through Hostile Life Environments

ABSTRACTDeveloping a healthy bisexual consciousness within an oppressive, monosexual society is difficult. The present article offers a framework for considering bi-consciousness utilizing the work of W. E. B. Du Bois (1903/1994) related to double consciousness in freed slaves and the work of Gloria Anzaldúa (1987/2012) about people indigenous to the border between Mexico and the United States. In the spirit of this autoethnographic tradition, the author's reflections on navigating hostility and invisibility and becoming liberated from society's view of bisexuality are shared in an article that best resembles a series of brief essays. As a by-product of this process, recommendations are offered for revising the American Psychological Association's guidelines for psychological practice with bisexual clients.

Empirical influence of the multicultural guidelines: A brief report.

In 2002, the American Psychological Association (APA) Council of Representatives approved the "Guidelines for Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice and Organizational Change for Psychologists." The Guidelines have been downloaded 64,153 times from the APA website from 2007 to 2013, and have been cited nearly 900 times. This suggests that the Guidelines have influenced education, training, research, and practice in psychology. However, it is unclear how the Guidelines have influenced these domains. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to examine how the Guidelines have influenced the field. Articles were coded for several criteria, including whether the Guidelines were cited, the type of research that was conducted, study findings, limitations, and future directions of research. The data for this study consisted of 895 empirical articles published since the 2003 publication of the Guidelines. A literature review using the keywords APA and multicultural guidelines were searched in PsycINFO and ERIC databases. Articles were then coded by the research team. Findings from the literature review suggested that although there were a total of 895 articles and books that cited the Guidelines, only 34 met our coding criteria. Our findings suggest that most of the articles that cited the Guidelines used the citation as a way to document that culture is important to consider. In some cases, other professions cited the Guidelines to argue that their discipline should also attend to culture. However, very few articles focused on framing an investigation around a specific guideline. (PsycINFO Database Record

Errors in the 2017 APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD: What the Data Actually Says.

The American Psychological Association (APA) Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) concluded that there was strong evidence for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), cognitive therapy (CT), and exposure therapy yet weak evidence for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This is despite the findings from an associated systematic review which concluded that EMDR leads to loss of PTSD diagnosis and symptom reduction. Depression symptoms were also found to improve more with EMDR than control conditions. In that review, EMDR was marked down on strength of evidence (SOE) for symptom reduction for PTSD. However, there were several problems with the conclusions of that review. Firstly, in assessing the evidence in one of the studies, the reviewers chose an incorrect measure that skewed the data. We recalculated a meta-analysis with a more appropriate measure and found the SOE improved. The resulting effect size for EMDR on PTSD symptom reduction compared to a control condition was large for studies that meet the APA inclusion criteria (SMD = 1.28) and the heterogeneity was low (I2= 43%). Secondly, even if the original measure was chosen, we highlight inconsistencies with the way SOE was assessed for EMDR, CT, and CPT. Thirdly, we highlight two papers that were omitted from the analysis. One of these was omitted without any apparent reason. It found EMDR superior to a placebo control. The other study was published in 2015 and should have been part of APA guidelines since they were published in 2017. The inclusion of either study would have resulted in an improvement in SOE. Including both studies results in standard mean difference and confidence intervals that were better for EMDR than for CPT or CT. Therefore, the SOE should have been rated as moderate and EMDR assessed as at least equivalent to these CBT approaches in the APA guidelines. This would bring the APA guidelines in line with other recent practice guidelines from other countries. Less critical but also important, were several inaccuracies in assessing the risk of bias and the failure to consider studies supporting strong gains of EMDR at follow-up.

Ethical concerns for telemental health therapy amidst governmental surveillance.

Technology, infrastructure, governmental support, and interest in mental health accessibility have led to a burgeoning field of telemental health therapy (TMHT). Psychologists can now provide therapy via computers at great distances and little cost for parties involved. Growth of TMHT within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and among psychologists surveyed by the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests optimism in this provision of services (Godleski, Darkins, & Peters, 2012; Jacobsen & Kohout, 2010). Despite these advances, psychologists using technology must keep abreast of potential limitations to privacy and confidentiality. However, no scholarly articles have appraised the ramifications of recent government surveillance disclosures (e.g., "The NSA Files"; Greenwald, 2013) and how they might affect TMHT usage within the field of psychology. This article reviews the current state of TMHT in psychology, APA's guidelines, current governmental threats to client privacy, and other ethical ramifications that might result. Best practices for the field of psychology are proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Enhancing the Psychology Curriculum Through Service Learning

Educators in psychology should aspire to encourage students’ holistic growth in academic, personal, and civic domains. We propose that service learning is the most potent pedagogy for developing well-rounded, psychologically literate citizens capable of meeting the goals for the undergraduate psychology major. This article defines service learning, delineates the rationales for service learning, and summarizes research demonstrating the efficacy of this pedagogical approach. The article also describes the learning objectives derived from the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Undergraduate Major (Version 2.0, 2013), with an emphasis on the ways in which service learning contributes to academic learning, civic learning, and personal growth. Finally, the article illustrates the four types of service learning, and it provides a concrete example for structuring reflection in order to connect community experiences with course content in a service learning psychology course.

Expanding our Reach: Telehealth and Licensure Implications for Psychologists.

This article discusses the background and history of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Board's (ASPPB) Principles and Standards for Telepsychology. The Principles/Standards are described with comments on each one as they apply to the practice of telepsychology, and with a guide on how they coordinate with the American Psychological Association's Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology. Further, barriers to the interjurisdictional practice of telepsychology are reviewed and a proposed solution to them is presented. The ASPPB psychology interjurisdictional compact, known as the PSYPACT is in process of being introduced as an effective vehicle for addressing these barriers.