Convergence: Connecting Levels of Analysis in Psychological Science
In the past, our field harbored distinct, and often competing, schools of thought that tackled different problems and produced findings that often appeared to diverge. Today, investigators attack shared problems at complementary levels of analysis and produce results that converge. Studies of people in a social world; mental systems of cognition and emotion; and biological mechanisms of the genome and the nervous system interconnect and yield an integrated psychological science. The APS 23rd Annual Convention displays, and celebrates, these advances in our field.

Invited Address

Science and Practice in 2012 and Beyond

Saturday, May 26, 2012, 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM
Chicago Ballroom IX

David H. Barlow
Boston University

For over 60 years in clinical psychology, we have attempted to integrate science into practice for the benefit of the public. After a brief review of the progress we have made and the reasons for the emergence of evidence-based practice, we consider current barriers to dissemination and implementation. These include the relative (in) efficacy of current psychological interventions, issues of comorbidity and heterogeneity of psychopathology, the ambiguity concerning mechanisms of action in treatments, a continuing emphasis on nomothetic rather than idiographic methodology, and emerging issues of implementation in clinical settings. The centrality of these issues to public health policy will dictate a marked shift in emphasis in both research and practice in the coming decade.

Read the APS Daily Observation on David Barlow.

David H. Barlow is a recipient of a 2012 Association for Psychological Science (APS) James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award.

Continuing Education: 1 APA Credit

Learning Objectives

This Address is designed to help you:

1. Describe the reasons for the emergence of evidence-based psychological treatments and the progress that has been made to date.

2. List the current barriers or obstructions to evidence-based practice.

3. Describe specific barriers to dissemination and implementation and two current models for overcoming these barriers.

Continuing education for psychologists is sponsored by the Psychology Department at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC). The Psychology Department at WHASC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. WHASC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Point of contact for the CE Program is Howard Garb. He can be reached at howard.garb@us.af.mil, or 210.671.4084.

Subject Area: Clinical