Research documenting the impact on experimental results of ethical procedures such as informed consent, freedom to withdraw, and constraints upon the use of deception was reviewed, and the frequency of these practices was surveyed in published research. The proportion of studies that reported obtaining informed consent or explicitly giving subjects the freedom to withdraw was negligible, and the practice of deception has not been reduced by ethical regulations. The percentage of social psychological studies that employed deception increased monotonically over the past three decades. Although recent data show a slight decline, the extremity of some deceptions does not seem to have moderated. Reports of debriefing subjects have generally increased," however, most investigators still do not report this practice, and few describe what subjects are told. Considering the demonstrated methodological consequences of ethical procedures, detailed reporting of these practices should be required and expected in all published research.

This study describes the development of a model for psychological service delivery in a community based health care facility. Demographic characteristics, presenting problems, modes of intervention, and number of contact hours were analyzed for 75 children referred for psychological assistance in a one-year period. Sex, age, and family structure (two-parent, single-parent, severe familial discord) were significant variables in relation to difficulties experienced and treatment modalities employed. Responders to a formal and systematic evaluation were highly positive in their ratings of improvement, satisfaction, and recommendation to others. Based on these findings, a flexible model providing both consultation and primary therapy was proposed. Discussion of conceptual issues relevant to this model, and its potential value in a community health care setting is provided.

No abstract

Current research and theory support the position that there are diurnal changes in the relative functional dominance of the hemispheres in the "normal" population. In one example of this position, Bakan (1978) has stated that REM sleep allows for right hemisphere dominance with a relative absence of left hemisphere interference. The present study involved pre- and postREM deprivation visual presentation of cognitive/perceptual performance tasks that had previously been demonstrated to have lateralizing value. Ten right-handed adult males each spent three nights in a sleep laboratory completing these tasks and a variety of questionnaires. After REM deprivation, performance decreased on right hemisphere tasks presented to the right hemisphere first. However, left-hemisphere-first presentation of one of the right hemisphere tasks (facial recognition) actually resulted in performance improvement after REM deprivation. This improvement was attributed to a suppression or diminution of capacity of the primary processing style of the left hemisphere. Results are further discussed in terms of Bakan's theory, the different processing "styles" of the two hemispheres, possible functions of REM and relationships of the biological cycles to possible shifts in cerebral laterality.

No abstract