The identity prescription of “the psychologist”

ealth care is currently undergoing important changes characterised by waning confidence in the biomedical Historic Causes of DeathOne indicator of medicine's likely level of success in promoting health in contemporary populations is its success (or otherwise) in promoting the health of past generations. It is a fact that in the Western world average life expectancy, an index of overall population health, has generally increased progressively over the past few centuries. In the popular press, and in some sections of the medical literature, these apparently generalised and progressive improvements in health are heralded as evidence of the achievements of biomedical science. Closer examination, however, has shown that the major improvements in population health over the recent past have been coincidental with, but not causally related to, developments in curative medicine (McKeown, 1979).

Section: Hierarchical Knowledge Storesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health care, psychology, and the scientist-practitioner model

James

1994

“…Elsewhere, it has been argued that a cohesive identity for psychologists is virtually unobtainable (Sheehan, 1989, p.320). As the profession has developed (see Mitchell, 1977) and psychologists have specialised, the lack of a core identity is increasingly reflected in the range of specialisations in courses taught in our tertiary institutions (see John, 1985). Moghaddam (1989) sees specialisation in psychology in a rather thought-provoking light as a force occasioned not by the demands of an increasing knowledge base, but as caused by the competition of increasing numbers of professionals with overlapping skills providing services in the same market place.…”

Section: Training Structure and The Professionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychology as a science and a profession: An Australian perspective

Sheehan

1994

he practices and needs in psychological training (Nixon, 1994) in member countries of IUPsyS. are examined on T a number of key issues that relate meanlngfully to the development of psychology as a science and as a profession in Australia. One such issue is the ratio of applied to basic science, this issue being associated with the model of professional training adopted in Australia which is heavily scientistpractitioner. Developments in the recognition and growth of the profession in Australia are examined, and argument made that factors previously central to the growth of professionalism in Australia are now clearly changing in character.Looking at Nixon's (1994) summary of the results of an international survey of the state of training of psychologists all over the world, conducted under the sponsorship of IUPsyS, it is instructive to compare one's own country's responses to those of others. Cross-national comparisons can serve to direct and inform the progress of national societies of psychologists. They help ultimately to establish international standards of professional training, which, as Nixon (1990) tells us, have not been determined despite the fact education and professional practice in psychology exist in an international context.Major developments in the profession have occurred, and we need to know what has been achieved and what are the critical issues facing the profession today as it moves into the future. The results of the IUPsyS. survey confront us with the relevance of a science-based model of training and this has major implications for proper understanding of the model of training adopted in this country.

“…The cultivation of these values is dictated by the logical empiricist view of science which historically has been the dominant view of science within psychology and particularly within academic psychology. This is now generally conceded to be an untenable view and to be particularly misleading in its application to psychology (John, 1985). However, as the practical shortcomings of this view are more in evidence in enquiry at the macro-psychological level than at the micro-psychological level, it is still possible for it to function as a reasonably satisfactory framework within which to pursue certain forms of psychological enquiry and thereby to imply its unproblematic nature and potential generalizability to the whole field of psychology.…”

Section: Alternative Conceptions Of Science Applicable To Psychologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A central role model in the process of psychological socialization is that of "the scientist", and this paper sets out to make a critical analysis of that role mode1 and its implications for the self-understanding of psychologists and the institution of psychology. Attention has previously been drawn (John, 1985) to various indications of practising psychologists' dissatisfaction with "the scientist" as a role model, and a number of commentators have remarked on the possible consequences of the use of this model in the process of psychological socialization (e.g., Hudson, 1972;Kvale, 1973;Sampson, 1978).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“The scientist” as role model for “the psychologist”

John

1986

Self Cite

This paper examines the stereotypical notion of “the scientist” which serves as a role model in the socialization of psychologists. It is pointed out that the stereotype is intensely masculine, seems only tenuously to be related to the actual personal characteristics of scientists, and even less so to the characteristics of psychologists. The value constellations of domination, mastery and control of nature, and objectivity or personal detachment are identified as central features of the stereotype and are critically discussed. It is concluded that the uncritical promotion of these values is inconsistent with the requirement, for an adequate conceptualization of psychology, to address firmly the question of values and the role of the knower in the process of knowledge production. The work of Habermas (1971, 1983) and Gadamar (1975, 1979) is suggested as having possible relevance for the construction of a more adequate conceptualization of psychology.