Implications for the Integration of Science with Practice
Authors:
Narina Nunez - Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming
Debra Ann Poole - Department of Psychology, Central Michigan
University
Amina Memon - Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen,
Scotland
Author
Note:
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed
to Narina Nunez, Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming,
Laramie, WY 82071-3415. E-mail: Narina@uwyo.edu.
Abstract:
A national survey evaluated psychologists' opinions on professional
and epistemological issues in clinical psychology. Clinical
and nonclinical groups diverged markedly on two questions.
The majority of clinical psychologists indicated that "alternative
ways of knowing, for which the scientific method is irrelevant,"
should be valued and supported, whereas few nonclinical psychologists
agreed. Clinical psychologists were also more supportive of
the value of "intuitions based upon one's experiences during
clinical practice" than were nonclinical psychologists. Variability
within the clinical group was large, however, and involvement
in both clinical practice and research correlated with attitudes.
The overlap between groups on most issues suggests optimism
about the future of a unified field of psychology, but the
data forecast continued conflict regarding epistemological
issues.
