The Scientific Practice of Professional Psychology (NATO Science Series B:) - Hardcover

Trierweiler, Steven J.; Stricker, George

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306456540 ISBN 13: 9780306456541

Publisher: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 1997

Synopsis

A workable vision of scientific practice has proven to be an elusive, if laudable, goal for professional psychology. The field cannot be faulted for failing to seek scientific wisdom, but it has been slow to integrate that wisdom fully with the wisdom of practice. This has proven to be a major oversight for, despite psychology's long­ if the standing commitment to science, practitioners are unlikely to think scientifically methods and products of science are described in ways that make it impossible to do so. Unfortunately, the rhetoric of science too often has done just that: So focused has it been on the problem of distinguishing good science from bad that it has inadvertently defeated any hope of a practical science developing in our field. We offer one remedy for this situation: This book is about scientific thinking for the professional psychologist. Specifically, it is a primer on the application of scientific logic to professional practice. We argue that the professional needs a more straightforward and realistic scientific identity than heretofore has been available. The professional consciously must become a local clinical scientist, bringing all the power of scientific thought to the specifics of the clinical situation. Contrary to forces in psychology that promote uncritical acceptance of science as given by academic researchers or, alternatively, that encourage criticism and ultimate disregard of the scientific endeavor, we call for a redoubling of efforts to incorporate scientific thought into practical professional inquiry.

About this title

Review

`Well written, valuable, and provocative...The emphasis on nonpositivist scientific approaches, including qualitative methods, critical thinking and logic, and framework development is particularly valuable.'
Choice, June 1998

Synopsis

This extraordinary volume addresses the practice of psychology in the context of scientific inquiry, regarding practitioners as "local clinical scientists" and addressing the validity of their methodology through the philosophy of science. Positivistic/empirical, idealist/pragmatic, and socio-cultural/constructionist approaches are all considered by the authors as they discuss such topics as research design, quantitative analysis, the linkage of theory and data, and qualitative analysis. Rigorous and far-sighted, this profound meditative discourse will prove fruitful reading for professionals and academics in the fields of mental health and social work.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0306456540
• ISBN 13: 9780306456541
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 323