Top psychiatrist concludes liberals clinically nuts

[Peikko 1,575]

"A social scientist who understands human nature will not dismiss the vital roles of free choice, voluntary cooperation and moral integrity – as liberals do," he says. "A political leader who understands human nature will not ignore individual differences in talent, drive, personal appeal and work ethic, and then try to impose economic and social equality on the population – as liberals do. And a legislator who understands human nature will not create an environment of rules which over-regulates and over-taxes the nation's citizens, corrupts their character and reduces them to wards of the state – as liberals do."

Right there, that just doesn't make sense. Democrats do not believe any or all of these statements at least not as far as I understand their policies so the entire premise of what it is to be a Democrat (liberal) is wrong. I don't care what his credentials are, if this is the premise for his book its simply flawed from the start.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Purple_Hibiscus

[HAL 9000 96]

Ugghh... the genotyping offer is still on the table for those that want to gauge their genetic susceptibilities to being 'mental.'

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

A pseudo-scientist espousing party politics thinly disguised with a crude veneer of his pseudo-scientific art. Hmmm... I guess he hasn't heard of confirmation bias.

In reality he is a very real scientist. You may not agree with him but his credentials are sound.

CURRICULUM VITAE

LYLE H. ROSSITER, JR., M.D.

2580 Foxfield Road

Suite 204

St. Charles, Illinois 60174

General and Forensic Psychiatry PH: 630/587-5710

www.forensicpsychiatrist.com FAX: 630/587-5711

MEDICAL LICENSURE AND REGISTRATION

Physician and Surgeon, 1963, Illinois No. 036-038694.

Tax ID No. 36-2813490

D.E.A. Controlled Substance Registration No. BR1298315.

PROFESSIONAL STATUS

Diplomate in Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1972.

Diplomate in Forensic Psychiatry, American Board of Forensic Psychiatry, 1984.

Private Practice, General Adult and Forensic Psychiatry

Forensic Psychiatric Consultant to DuPage County Circuit Court, Public Defender

and State's Attorney's Offices; Cook County Public Defender's Office; Office of the

State Appellate Defender Supreme Court Unit, Kane County Child Advocacy

Center; private attorneys in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, California, Alabama and

Washington, D.C. Over 2500 cases in 36 years of Consultation, Evaluation,

Reports and Testimony in Civil and Criminal Matters.

CLINICAL EXPERTISE

Thirty-five years experience in assessment, diagnosis, psychodynamic

formulation, developmental analysis, and individual psychotherapeutic and

psychopharmacological treatment of Axis I syndromes, personality disorders, and

organic brain impairment. Twenty years experience in group therapy of

symptomatic, relational and personality disorders. Integrated psychoanalytic,

psychodynamic, self-psychological, cognitive-behavioral, and interpersonal modalities

in the diagnosis and treatment of neurotic, characterological, and psychotic

disorders. Comprehensive independent psychiatric evaluation and disposition of

insured disability claims. Comprehensive assessment of occupational functional

competence/ disability.

FORENSIC EXPERTISE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS:

Fitness to Stand Trial: Defendant’s capacity to comprehend legal proceedings

and cooperate with counsel; evaluation of effects of psychotropic medications and

neuropsychiatric factors on fitness and courtroom presentation at trial and

sentencing.

Criminal Competency: Mental state at time of offense for mental disease or

defect impairing appreciation of wrongfulness/criminality of acts and/or capacity to

conform conduct.

Mitigating and Aggravating Factors: Mental state at time of offense, provocation,

mens rea, developmental trauma, relational factors, neuropsychiatric/

medical disorders and brain injury factors.

Post Conviction Analysis: Scrutiny of civil rights violations; competency for

Miranda warning; competency at arrest, detention, evaluation, trial, and sentencing;

factors in mitigation/aggravation; medication and neuropsychiatric effects;

relevance of prior evaluations.

FORENSIC EXPERTISE IN CIVIL MATTERS:

Medical/Psychiatric Malpractice: Standard of care in provider-patient

relationship, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and disposition; evaluation

of injury and causation; consultation in deposition and cross-examination of

opposing witnesses.

Personal Injury: Post-traumatic disorders in survivors of medical emergencies,

physical injury, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, and closed head injury.

Competencies: Testamentary capacity, competency for self-care, management

of personal affairs, contract, marriage, testimony, pro se court appearance, and

parenting.

Civil Rights: Psychiatric damages alleged in ADA and sexual harassment claims

in workplace/commercial/public environments, post-traumatic stress syndromes,

functional disability, cognitive/ emotional/ occupational/ interpersonal impairment

assessment.

Child Custody and Visitation: Best interest of the child criteria, assessment of

personality variables in caretaker fitness, other-state removal criteria, assessment

of child development levels, attachment/relational variables.

EDUCATION

Elementary and high school education in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, 1943 to 1954.

Bachelor's Degree in Biology (with honors), June 1958, Beloit College, Beloit,

Wisconsin.

Doctor of Medicine Degree, University of Chicago School of Medicine, June 1962.

Medical-Surgical Internship, University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics, 1962-63.

Residency in Psychiatry, University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics, July 1963

through June 1966.

Associate Fellow, New York Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy, 1980.

PRIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Captain, U.S. Army, Chief of Psychiatry, Department of Defense (Top Secret

Security Clearance), U.S. Army Hospital, Sandia Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico,

August 1966 through June 1968.

Associate Fellow and Training Supervisor, Institute of Rational Emotive Therapy,

New York, 1979-89.

Consultant, Family Service Association of DuPage County, 1980-82.

Consultant, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Aurora, Illinois

Region, 1981-1983.

Consultant, Public Defender and State Attorney Offices, Kane County, Will

County, Illinois.

Consultant/analyst on employee/staff morale, Central DuPage Hospital: multiple

individual and group interviews, conferences, written reports to hospital

administration, 1988.

Clinical Director/Advisor, Outpatient Psychiatric Services, Central DuPage

Hospital, November 1994 through February 1996.

Member Central DuPage Hospital medical staff, department of psychiatry, 1981-

2005.

Member, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 1984 – 2006.

Member, American College of Forensic Psychiatry, 2001-2006.

TEACHING APPOINTMENTS

Loyola University, Department of Psychiatry, 1969 to 1971.

Madden Mental Health Center, Maywood, Illinois, 1969 to 1971.

PUBLICATIONS

Award, Illinois Psychiatric Society for paper, "Psychoanalysis and Learning

Theory," June 1966.

"The Cause and Treatment of Depression, Part I," DCBA Brief, DuPage County

Bar Association, November 1991.

“The Cause and Treatment of Depression, Part II," DCBA Brief, DuPage County

Bar Association, November 1991.

LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS

Workshop, lecture, demonstration interviews on "Cognitive Perspectives in the

Treatment of Depression," presented at the Illinois Psychological Association

Meetings in Chicago, December 1981.

Lecture on "Courtroom Dangerousness," delivered to judges of the Circuit Court of

the 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage County, Wheaton, Illinois, February 1985.

Continuing Medical Education lecture on "Tardive Dyskinesia and Malpractice,"

delivered to the Central DuPage Hospital medical staff at Winfield, Illinois,

September 18, 1985.

Lecture on "Concentration, Cognition and Affect in Coaching Athletes," delivered

at the Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Institute, Carol Stream, Illinois, July

16, 1981.

Continuing Medical Education lecture on "Forensic Psychiatry," delivered to the

medical staff at Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Illinois, February 6, 1985.

Forensic psychiatric forum consultant in "Understanding the Insanity Plea or

Defense," November 27 and December 4, 1983, at the invitation of Judge Carl F.J.

Henninger, Chief Judge, Circuit Court of DuPage County. Simulated trial; lecture

delivered on "History and Current Status of the Concept of Not Guilty by Reason of

Insanity."

Videotaped lecture and demonstration delivered November 5 and 12, 1987, on

"Modern Cognitive Psychotherapy Evaluation and Treatment Techniques" to the

Department of Psychiatry, Central DuPage nursing and psychology inpatient staff,

Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Illinois.

Day-long lecture, videotape and interview demonstration: "An Introduction to

Rational Emotive Therapy," presented to the Veteran's Administration Medical

Center Psychiatry Service staff at Knoxville, Iowa, September 30, 1986.

Lectures, supervision, demonstrations on psychotherapy at the Primary Certificate

Practicum, New York Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy, Chicago, October 23

to 27, 1981. Same as above, April 11 to 15, 1984.

Transcribed therapy session, Chapter 8 in Wessler & Wessler, The Principles and

Practice of Rational Emotive Therapy, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco,

1980.

Lecture Series on Principles of Evaluation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychiatric

Disorders presented to the Behavioral Health Services Staff, Central DuPage

Hospital, Winfield, Illinois, 1994; Personality Development and Psychodynamics;

Psychopharmacotherapy; Relational Factors in Psychotherapy; Psychiatry and

Substance Abuse; Principles of Informed Consent/Standard of Care.

Lecture on "Factors in the Assessment of Dangerousness," delivered to the

MacNeal Hospital psychiatry staff at Berwyn, Illinois, October 18, 1995.

Lecture: “An Overview of Forensic Psychiatry” presented to the Central DuPage

Hospital Medical Staff, May 10, 2002.

Lecture: “Suicide Risk Factors” presented to the Central DuPage Hospital

Psychiatric Staff, March 3, 2004.

Lecture: “Suicide Risk Factors” presented to the American Association of Legal

Nurse Consultants, April 2, 2004.

Lecture: “Adolescent Suicide Risk Factors” presented to the Central DuPage

Hospital Psychiatric Staff, October 27, 2004.

http://www.forensicpsychiatrist.com/RossiterCV.pdf

He could be Sigmund Freud, what does it prove exactly? That he too can resort to partisan hackery, by cynically leaning his political opinions on his qualifications?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Savage actually wrote a book entitled "Liberalism is a mental disorder". And he's no pychiatrist.

Michael Alan Weiner, better known by his pseudonym Michael Savage, is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. He holds master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology and earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in nutritional ethnomedicine. As Michael Weiner, he has written a number of books on herbal medicine and homeopathy.

I'll admit being surprised by the herbal medicine and homeopathy connections. Doesn't strike me as "typical" for a right-winger, but then again he does live in San Francisco so maybe some hippy has rubbed off on him after all!

I listen to his show on the way to and from the gym - he's pretty nuts, but not as partisan as Rush Limbaugh. He has some pretty bizarre opinions on a lot of things (comparing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with Barack Obama and saying that those guys are the living proof of what happens if you "drink strychnine and wave snakes" - most of his callers seem to be a mixture of mullet-wearing, confederate flag-waving ex-military types, and nursing home geriatrics.

Its comedy really - for me anyway, but occasionally some of his guests are interesting - even if the guy himself is a total hack.

p types, but a few of his guests

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Does this mean I can qualify for disability?

Here's an interesting read from the President of APA (American Psychology Association) which is quite different from what Dr. Lyster is claiming.

Dr. Gerald P. Koocher

APA President

Psychological science is not politically correct

One thing has become consistently evident as I talk with members of the association and read mail sent generically to the “APA President.” Many groups and individuals would like to use behavioral science as a rationale to promote or oppose political and social policy agenda. In many instances, psychological science can provide important answers to guide policy, but the very nature of behavioral science data will often contribute ambiguity. Politicians, social advocates, and people in general, do not tolerate ambiguity well.

Most of the variables psychologists study originate with hypothetical constructs (e.g., adaptation, coping, intelligence or personality). How people choose to define and measure these constructs leads to assorted claims of validity in all its forms. For example, do the questions we ask seem to directly address the behavior under study (i.e., face validity or content validity)? Better still, do the data we collect seem to predict future behavior (i.e., predictive validity)? When we attempt to apply data from a piece of research to help address a public policy concern, we must remain mindful that findings often do not generalize well. Other population variables are not always equal, and regression to the mean remains ubiquitous.

Findings that may surprise

As we strive to conduct and disseminate high quality behavioral research, some people might respond angrily to, discount or ignore data that do not comport with their beliefs about how things are or ought to be. Consider the following examples.

John Jost and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 88 samples from 12 nations analyzing political conservatism as motivated social cognition and confirmed that several psychological variables predict political conservatism (e.g., heightened dogmatism, reduced openness to experience and intolerance of ambiguity). They concluded that the core ideology of political conservatism stresses resistance to change and justification of inequality, modified by needs that vary across situations and disposition to manage uncertainty and threat.

Kelly Brownell has studied obesity extensively and notes that nutritionists have offered relatively consistent dietary advice for decades, while Americans continue to gain weight. He has proposed a controversial “Twinkie Tax” to raise the price of inexpensive high fat, high calorie, high sugar foods, in what he calls a “toxic food environment.”

Linda Waite and colleagues found frequent attendance at religious services linked to higher emotional satisfaction and pleasure in sex. Christopher Ellison and colleagues found domestic violence reports lower for the more religiously observant couples sampled.

Several studies of domestic violence have suggested that males and females in relationships have an equal likelihood of acting out physical aggression, although differing in tactics and potential for causing injury (e.g., women assailants will more likely throw something, slap, kick, bite, or punch their partner, or hit them with an object, while males will more likely beat up their partners, and choke or strangle them). In addition, data show that that intimate partner violence rates among heterosexual and gay and lesbian teens do not differ significantly.

Science, not sound bites

I hope some of these findings surprise you. I know that some may appear contrary to your personal values, beliefs or social policies you wish to advocate for (or against)—and hopefully you will veiw such unexpected findings with an open mind. Such findings can serve to spur on further research in a given area.

I hope that after reading this column you will agree that psychological science cannot be held to a standard of political correctness by social liberals or conservatives. Any attempt to use isolated behavioral science findings to frame answers to broad social policy questions will require a level of explanatory detail and nuance that defies the sound bite mentality of many news outlets and political messages. Ideally, policy-makers need to draw on the body of psychological research in a given area to inform their decisions.

Let’s not sell psychological science short. Rather, let’s continually strive for a full and accurate accounting of ways in which our science can better inform public policy.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct06/pc.html

Edited March 30, 2008 by Mister Fancypants

[HAL 9000 96]

A pseudo-scientist espousing party politics thinly disguised with a crude veneer of his pseudo-scientific art. Hmmm... I guess he hasn't heard of confirmation bias.

In reality he is a very real scientist. You may not agree with him but his credentials are sound.

CURRICULUM VITAE

LYLE H. ROSSITER, JR., M.D.

2580 Foxfield Road

Suite 204

St. Charles, Illinois 60174

General and Forensic Psychiatry PH: 630/587-5710

www.forensicpsychiatrist.com FAX: 630/587-5711

MEDICAL LICENSURE AND REGISTRATION

Physician and Surgeon, 1963, Illinois No. 036-038694.

Tax ID No. 36-2813490

D.E.A. Controlled Substance Registration No. BR1298315.

PROFESSIONAL STATUS

Diplomate in Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1972.

Diplomate in Forensic Psychiatry, American Board of Forensic Psychiatry, 1984.

Private Practice, General Adult and Forensic Psychiatry

Forensic Psychiatric Consultant to DuPage County Circuit Court, Public Defender

and State's Attorney's Offices; Cook County Public Defender's Office; Office of the

State Appellate Defender Supreme Court Unit, Kane County Child Advocacy

Center; private attorneys in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, California, Alabama and

Washington, D.C. Over 2500 cases in 36 years of Consultation, Evaluation,

Reports and Testimony in Civil and Criminal Matters.

CLINICAL EXPERTISE

Thirty-five years experience in assessment, diagnosis, psychodynamic

formulation, developmental analysis, and individual psychotherapeutic and

psychopharmacological treatment of Axis I syndromes, personality disorders, and

organic brain impairment. Twenty years experience in group therapy of

symptomatic, relational and personality disorders. Integrated psychoanalytic,

psychodynamic, self-psychological, cognitive-behavioral, and interpersonal modalities

in the diagnosis and treatment of neurotic, characterological, and psychotic

disorders. Comprehensive independent psychiatric evaluation and disposition of

insured disability claims. Comprehensive assessment of occupational functional

competence/ disability.

FORENSIC EXPERTISE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS:

Fitness to Stand Trial: Defendant’s capacity to comprehend legal proceedings

and cooperate with counsel; evaluation of effects of psychotropic medications and

neuropsychiatric factors on fitness and courtroom presentation at trial and

sentencing.

Criminal Competency: Mental state at time of offense for mental disease or

defect impairing appreciation of wrongfulness/criminality of acts and/or capacity to

conform conduct.

Mitigating and Aggravating Factors: Mental state at time of offense, provocation,

mens rea, developmental trauma, relational factors, neuropsychiatric/

medical disorders and brain injury factors.

Post Conviction Analysis: Scrutiny of civil rights violations; competency for

Miranda warning; competency at arrest, detention, evaluation, trial, and sentencing;

factors in mitigation/aggravation; medication and neuropsychiatric effects;

relevance of prior evaluations.

FORENSIC EXPERTISE IN CIVIL MATTERS:

Medical/Psychiatric Malpractice: Standard of care in provider-patient

relationship, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and disposition; evaluation

of injury and causation; consultation in deposition and cross-examination of

opposing witnesses.

Personal Injury: Post-traumatic disorders in survivors of medical emergencies,

physical injury, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, and closed head injury.

Competencies: Testamentary capacity, competency for self-care, management

of personal affairs, contract, marriage, testimony, pro se court appearance, and

parenting.

Civil Rights: Psychiatric damages alleged in ADA and sexual harassment claims

in workplace/commercial/public environments, post-traumatic stress syndromes,

functional disability, cognitive/ emotional/ occupational/ interpersonal impairment

assessment.

Child Custody and Visitation: Best interest of the child criteria, assessment of

personality variables in caretaker fitness, other-state removal criteria, assessment

of child development levels, attachment/relational variables.

EDUCATION

Elementary and high school education in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, 1943 to 1954.

Bachelor's Degree in Biology (with honors), June 1958, Beloit College, Beloit,

Wisconsin.

Doctor of Medicine Degree, University of Chicago School of Medicine, June 1962.

Medical-Surgical Internship, University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics, 1962-63.

Residency in Psychiatry, University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics, July 1963

through June 1966.

Associate Fellow, New York Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy, 1980.

PRIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Captain, U.S. Army, Chief of Psychiatry, Department of Defense (Top Secret

Security Clearance), U.S. Army Hospital, Sandia Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico,

August 1966 through June 1968.

Associate Fellow and Training Supervisor, Institute of Rational Emotive Therapy,

New York, 1979-89.

Consultant, Family Service Association of DuPage County, 1980-82.

Consultant, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Aurora, Illinois

Region, 1981-1983.

Consultant, Public Defender and State Attorney Offices, Kane County, Will

County, Illinois.

Consultant/analyst on employee/staff morale, Central DuPage Hospital: multiple

individual and group interviews, conferences, written reports to hospital

administration, 1988.

Clinical Director/Advisor, Outpatient Psychiatric Services, Central DuPage

Hospital, November 1994 through February 1996.

Member Central DuPage Hospital medical staff, department of psychiatry, 1981-

2005.

Member, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 1984 – 2006.

Member, American College of Forensic Psychiatry, 2001-2006.

TEACHING APPOINTMENTS

Loyola University, Department of Psychiatry, 1969 to 1971.

Madden Mental Health Center, Maywood, Illinois, 1969 to 1971.

PUBLICATIONS

Award, Illinois Psychiatric Society for paper, "Psychoanalysis and Learning

Theory," June 1966.

"The Cause and Treatment of Depression, Part I," DCBA Brief, DuPage County

Bar Association, November 1991.

“The Cause and Treatment of Depression, Part II," DCBA Brief, DuPage County

Bar Association, November 1991.

LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS

Workshop, lecture, demonstration interviews on "Cognitive Perspectives in the

Treatment of Depression," presented at the Illinois Psychological Association

Meetings in Chicago, December 1981.

Lecture on "Courtroom Dangerousness," delivered to judges of the Circuit Court of

the 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage County, Wheaton, Illinois, February 1985.

Continuing Medical Education lecture on "Tardive Dyskinesia and Malpractice,"

delivered to the Central DuPage Hospital medical staff at Winfield, Illinois,

September 18, 1985.

Lecture on "Concentration, Cognition and Affect in Coaching Athletes," delivered

at the Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Institute, Carol Stream, Illinois, July

16, 1981.

Continuing Medical Education lecture on "Forensic Psychiatry," delivered to the

medical staff at Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Illinois, February 6, 1985.

Forensic psychiatric forum consultant in "Understanding the Insanity Plea or

Defense," November 27 and December 4, 1983, at the invitation of Judge Carl F.J.

Henninger, Chief Judge, Circuit Court of DuPage County. Simulated trial; lecture

delivered on "History and Current Status of the Concept of Not Guilty by Reason of

Insanity."

Videotaped lecture and demonstration delivered November 5 and 12, 1987, on

"Modern Cognitive Psychotherapy Evaluation and Treatment Techniques" to the

Department of Psychiatry, Central DuPage nursing and psychology inpatient staff,

Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Illinois.

Day-long lecture, videotape and interview demonstration: "An Introduction to

Rational Emotive Therapy," presented to the Veteran's Administration Medical

Center Psychiatry Service staff at Knoxville, Iowa, September 30, 1986.

Lectures, supervision, demonstrations on psychotherapy at the Primary Certificate

Practicum, New York Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy, Chicago, October 23

to 27, 1981. Same as above, April 11 to 15, 1984.

Transcribed therapy session, Chapter 8 in Wessler & Wessler, The Principles and

Practice of Rational Emotive Therapy, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco,

1980.

Lecture Series on Principles of Evaluation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychiatric

Disorders presented to the Behavioral Health Services Staff, Central DuPage

Hospital, Winfield, Illinois, 1994; Personality Development and Psychodynamics;

Psychopharmacotherapy; Relational Factors in Psychotherapy; Psychiatry and

Substance Abuse; Principles of Informed Consent/Standard of Care.

Lecture on "Factors in the Assessment of Dangerousness," delivered to the

MacNeal Hospital psychiatry staff at Berwyn, Illinois, October 18, 1995.

Lecture: “An Overview of Forensic Psychiatry” presented to the Central DuPage

Hospital Medical Staff, May 10, 2002.

Lecture: “Suicide Risk Factors” presented to the Central DuPage Hospital

Psychiatric Staff, March 3, 2004.

Lecture: “Suicide Risk Factors” presented to the American Association of Legal

Nurse Consultants, April 2, 2004.

Lecture: “Adolescent Suicide Risk Factors” presented to the Central DuPage

Hospital Psychiatric Staff, October 27, 2004.

http://www.forensicpsychiatrist.com/RossiterCV.pdf

He could be Sigmund Freud, what does it prove exactly? That he too can resort to partisan hackery, by cynically leaning his political opinions on his qualifications?

Hey pretty nice. All it shows is that a scientist can have a point of view.

[HAL 9000 96]

Does this mean I can qualify for disability?

Here's an interesting read from the President of APA (American Psychology Association) which is quite different from what Dr. Lyster is claiming.

Dr. Gerald P. Koocher

APA President

Psychological science is not politically correct

One thing has become consistently evident as I talk with members of the association and read mail sent generically to the “APA President.” Many groups and individuals would like to use behavioral science as a rationale to promote or oppose political and social policy agenda. In many instances, psychological science can provide important answers to guide policy, but the very nature of behavioral science data will often contribute ambiguity. Politicians, social advocates, and people in general, do not tolerate ambiguity well.

Most of the variables psychologists study originate with hypothetical constructs (e.g., adaptation, coping, intelligence or personality). How people choose to define and measure these constructs leads to assorted claims of validity in all its forms. For example, do the questions we ask seem to directly address the behavior under study (i.e., face validity or content validity)? Better still, do the data we collect seem to predict future behavior (i.e., predictive validity)? When we attempt to apply data from a piece of research to help address a public policy concern, we must remain mindful that findings often do not generalize well. Other population variables are not always equal, and regression to the mean remains ubiquitous.

Findings that may surprise

As we strive to conduct and disseminate high quality behavioral research, some people might respond angrily to, discount or ignore data that do not comport with their beliefs about how things are or ought to be. Consider the following examples.

John Jost and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 88 samples from 12 nations analyzing political conservatism as motivated social cognition and confirmed that several psychological variables predict political conservatism (e.g., heightened dogmatism, reduced openness to experience and intolerance of ambiguity). They concluded that the core ideology of political conservatism stresses resistance to change and justification of inequality, modified by needs that vary across situations and disposition to manage uncertainty and threat.

Kelly Brownell has studied obesity extensively and notes that nutritionists have offered relatively consistent dietary advice for decades, while Americans continue to gain weight. He has proposed a controversial “Twinkie Tax” to raise the price of inexpensive high fat, high calorie, high sugar foods, in what he calls a “toxic food environment.”

Linda Waite and colleagues found frequent attendance at religious services linked to higher emotional satisfaction and pleasure in sex. Christopher Ellison and colleagues found domestic violence reports lower for the more religiously observant couples sampled.

Several studies of domestic violence have suggested that males and females in relationships have an equal likelihood of acting out physical aggression, although differing in tactics and potential for causing injury (e.g., women assailants will more likely throw something, slap, kick, bite, or punch their partner, or hit them with an object, while males will more likely beat up their partners, and choke or strangle them). In addition, data show that that intimate partner violence rates among heterosexual and gay and lesbian teens do not differ significantly.

Science, not sound bites

I hope some of these findings surprise you. I know that some may appear contrary to your personal values, beliefs or social policies you wish to advocate for (or against)—and hopefully you will veiw such unexpected findings with an open mind. Such findings can serve to spur on further research in a given area.

I hope that after reading this column you will agree that psychological science cannot be held to a standard of political correctness by social liberals or conservatives. Any attempt to use isolated behavioral science findings to frame answers to broad social policy questions will require a level of explanatory detail and nuance that defies the sound bite mentality of many news outlets and political messages. Ideally, policy-makers need to draw on the body of psychological research in a given area to inform their decisions.

Let’s not sell psychological science short. Rather, let’s continually strive for a full and accurate accounting of ways in which our science can better inform public policy.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct06/pc.html

Fortunately for science per se, it is in itself intrinsically devoid of politics.

Thank God most scientists understand that.

Rather, one should consider the personal reasons an individual judges a category based on personal preference. For a scientist to do that in a scientific setting is not only irresponsible but is scientifically questionable.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Fortunately for science per se, it is in itself intrinsically devoid of politics.

Thank God most scientists understand that.

Rather, one should consider the personal reasons an individual judges a category based on personal preference. For a scientist to do that in a scientific setting is not only irresponsible but is scientifically questionable.

Yep. I'm wondering when there will be some kind of public admonition by American Psychiatric Association for Dr. Lyster's lack of professionalism.

[SqdnGuns 21]

Politics makes us ALL nuts!!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Politics makes us ALL nuts!!

Spoken like a liberal. Spreading the blame instead of taking responsibility.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Social science / psychiatry aren't exact empirical disciplines in the way that chemistry, biology or physics are.

For one thing there aren't any strictly scientific tests to 'prove' mental illness - it all relies on subjective observation and interpretation.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/976...e_no_cures.html

[GabiandVi 34]

A pseudo-scientist espousing party politics thinly disguised with a crude veneer of his pseudo-scientific art. Hmmm... I guess he hasn't heard of confirmation bias.

You mean this isn't just a gag put out by the Onion or something like that? I just assumed it was a joke.

[SaadBell 0]

Coulter or Michael Savage

We have to stop this

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

A pseudo-scientist espousing party politics thinly disguised with a crude veneer of his pseudo-scientific art. Hmmm... I guess he hasn't heard of confirmation bias.

You mean this isn't just a gag put out by the Onion or something like that? I just assumed it was a joke.

No its a real book (with an amazon listing). There is a market for these things, as I say the Coulter and Savage stuff has an audience base and their books consistently make the "Ultra-Liberal/Far Left" NYT Bestseller list.

Half the books on that list are $hit anyway. Da Vinci Code anyone?

[LuzyC 0]

Darn it!!

Gary you forgot to change IDs again