In July/August issue:

In September issue:

Candidates answers are limited to 100 words for each question.

4. How will you advance the protection of the doctoral standard and address the supply and demand issue?

LUDY T. BENJAMIN JR., PhD

Question #3:
Much of my research concerns the public understanding of psychology and what I call the paradoxical psychological image: always popular, never understood. Bookstores, magazine racks and talk shows are filled with the products of would-be psychologists. We need to encourage academics, researchers and practitioners to play a larger role in educating the public about human behavior in the Decade of Behavior. We need to be speakers in high school classrooms and other public settings where we can present the value of what we do. We need to expose "psychological science" that isn't scientific and "psychological practice" that is demonstrably bogus.

Question #4:
I support the doctoral standard for the independent practice of psychology. In so far as research demonstrates that doctoral training prepares individuals to deliver services that cannot be provided adequately by persons with lesser training, then I support the doctoral degree as the minimum standard for such services. As an educator in a doctoral program, I believe in the importance of such advanced training and in holding that training to a high standard. Yet I also acknowledge that there are many with master's degrees in our field, including many within APA, who have contributed significantly to teaching, research and practice.

Ludy T. Benjamin Jr., PhD, is a professor of psychology at Texas A&M University.

ALICE F. CHANG, PhD

Question #3:
The Decade of Behavior will provide an unparalleled opportunity to highlight the contributions behavioral research and the application of behavioral science can make toward addressing many of our nation's most significant problems. I would use the strength of the APA presidency to promote efforts to inform federal policy-makers, legislative and executive, of the importance of supporting behavioral science; to solicit expanded funding for behavioral science research; and to develop a targeted public education campaign to effectively increase public understanding of the vital role psychology can play in improving life significantly for both individuals and our society as a whole.

Question #4:
As I have said in many ways and many forums, we must create demand and anticipate emerging needs rather than react from crisis to crisis. There are numerous opportunities to apply our skills, knowledge and methodologies in the fields of health, mental health, forensics, learning and development. Opportunities also abound in all aspects of our changing national demography. In addition to developing culturally appropriate services and research, we should be looking toward unmet needs across the lifespan, especially among children and seniors. Vigorous public education and advocacy must continue to promote the doctorate as the necessary minimum standard of care.

Alice F. Chang, PhD, does private practice, research and consulting in Tucson, Ariz.

GERALD C. DAVISON, PhD

Question #3:
The APA president must be able to represent to the public and to appropriate governmental agencies a deep understanding of the broad sweep of psychology, its scientific accomplishments and its applied achievements. Above all we must explain the singular manner in which psychology straddles other social sciences and biology and applies a unique and essential level of analysis to enhancing our understanding of complex human problems in their social contexts. The remarkable advances in cognitive, affective and behavioral neuroscience must be understood within the framework of current and evolving social-behavioral methods for studying the human condition.

Question #4:
APA has grappled for many years with the issue of master's-level graduates from psychology programs. Given the increasing complexity of our discipline and the expanding need for postdoctoral education, we have to explain and commit to the proposition that proper training in what we do best--psychological science and empirically based applications--requires doctoral education. It is challenging to produce doctorates in psychology who have been properly prepared for independent scientific and applied work. To achieve this goal, APA needs continuously to evaluate the degree to which its oversight of psychology programs demands the best that academic settings can offer.

Gerald C. Davison, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California.

NORINE G. JOHNSON, PhD

Question #3:
As president-elect, I will use my advocacy experience and congressional contacts for this effort to declare 2000 to 2010 the Decade of Behavior and to promote excellence in Science.

As APA president, I will prioritize appropriate support, funding, and staffing for this major multidisciplinary collaboration of behavioral and social sciences.

I will promote public education that stresses doctoral level psychology as a means to enhance health.

I will support partnerships, like APA's MTV collaboration, that apply psychological knowledge and solutions to public issues.

I will support a Public Education Campaign with financial resources for long-range planning, implementation and evaluation.

Question #4:
The best protection of the doctoral standard is high quality education and training. I will:

I will:

Norine G. Johnson, PhD, member of APA Board of Directors, private practitioner.

NATHAN N. STOCKHAMER, PhD

Question #3:
To advance the Decade of Behavior, I will vigorously support the reconciliation and integration of science, education and practice. I will pursue funding for these realms to enable:

Question #4:
I will vigorously support psychology's initiative as a health-care profession. This will demonstrate the need and demand for psychology's services. We need to educate and train more doctoral-level psychologists to meet the standard of training necessary to satisfy this national demand. Because of managed care's practice of "provider substitution" to reduce the cost of care, the public has less qualified people delivering critical services. We must oppose this dumbing-down stratagem. We have learned the lesson that we will be greatly affected by the legal and political processes. We must advocate for the protection of our standards.

Nathan N. Stockhamer, PhD, ABPP, is a psychologist-psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City.



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