The big news from the August meeting of APA's Council of Representatives was the adoption of a new resolution that bans psychologists from participating in national security interrogations for military or intelligence entities and aligns APA's policy definition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment with that of the U.N. Convention Against Torture.
The resolution — whose principal author was Scott Churchill, PhD, of Div. 32 (Society for Humanistic Psychology) — passed with a nearly unanimous vote (see the roll call vote; for the full report. A copy of the new policy can be found at onlineopens in new window (PDF, 263KB).
APA's council also took important action in several other areas. Among them was adopting a resolution that urges the video game industry to design games that are appropriate to users' age and psychological development and encourages the Entertainment Software Rating Board to refine its video game rating system "to reflect the levels and characteristics of violence in games."
The resolution also voices APA's support for more research to address gaps in the knowledge about the effects of violent video game use.
The resolution is based on recommendations from the APA Task Force on Violent Media, which was formed in 2013. The group concluded that violent video game play is linked to increased aggression in players, but also stated that there is insufficient evidence about whether the link extends to criminal violence or delinquency.
Over the past two years, the task force reviewed the research published from 2005 to 2013 focused on violent video game use. This included four meta-analyses that reviewed more than 150 research reports published before 2009. Task force members then conducted a systematic evidence review and a quantitative review of literature published from 2009 to 2013.
The task force concluded that "the research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy and sensitivity to aggression."
While scientists have investigated the use of violent video games for more than two decades, there has been limited research looking at whether violent video games cause people to commit criminal violence, says Mark Appelbaum, PhD, task force chair.
"However, the link between violence in video games and increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field," he says.
The report concluded that there is no single risk factor that consistently leads a person to act aggressively or violently. "Rather, it is the accumulation of risk factors that tends to lead to aggressive or violent behavior. The research reviewed here demonstrates that violent video game use is one such risk factor," the report says.
The task force identified several limitations in the research that require further study. These include a general failure to look for any differences in outcomes between boys and girls who play violent video games; a dearth of studies that have examined the effects of violent video game play on children younger than 10; and a lack of research that has examined the games' effects over the course of children's development.
"We know that there are numerous risk factors for aggressive behavior," Appelbaum says. "What researchers need to do now is conduct studies that look at the effects of video game play in people at risk for aggression or violence due to a combination of risk factors. For example, how do depression or delinquency interact with violent video game use?"
A copy of the task force reportopens in new window (PDF, 984KB) can be found online. A copy of the new APA policyopens in new window (PDF, 307KB) is also available online.
In addition to Appelbaum, members of the task force were Sandra Calvert, PhD; Kenneth Dodge, PhD; Sandra Graham, PhD; Gordon N. Hall, PhD; Sherry Hamby, PhD; and Larry Hedges, PhD.
New practice guidelines
APA's council also adopted "Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Peopleopens in new window (PDF, 617KB)," which calls for psychologists who work with these populations to provide acceptance, support and understanding without making assumptions about clients' gender identities or gender expressions.
The guidelines were drafted by APA's Task Force on Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People, formed in the wake of an APA survey in 2009 that found less than 30 percent of psychologist and graduate student respondents were familiar with the issues facing transgender and gender nonconforming people.
"These guidelines are especially timely in light of the media coverage of recent completed suicides by transgender teens and murders across the country of transgender people, especially people of color. In contrast, we have also seen coverage of high-profile transitions, including Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox of ‘Orange is the New Black,'" said lore m. dickey, PhD, task force co-chair. "While these guidelines are aimed at psychologists who provide care, conduct research or engage in education or training focused on transgender and gender nonconforming people, we believe they will also be useful to any psychologist or educator."
The document presents 16 guidelines to help professionals better understand the lifespan development, stigma, discrimination and barriers to care faced by this population, as well as the state of research surrounding transgender and gender nonconforming people.
One guideline explains that the concept of gender goes beyond male and female, and that people may experience a range of gender identities that do not align with their sex assigned at birth. Another guideline explains that gender identity and sexual orientation are "distinct but interrelated constructs."
Other guidelines address the developmental needs of gender-questioning youth and encourage psychologists to work with other health-care providers to coordinate the care of transgender and gender nonconforming clients.
APA practice guidelines set ideals to which APA encourages psychologists to aspire. The guidelines encourage psychologists to use them in tandem with APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and with treatment guidelines, such as those set forth by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care and the Endocrine Society.
A copy of the guidelinesopens in new window (PDF, 617KB) can be found online. In addition to dickey, the members of the task force were Anneliese A. Singh, PhD; Walter O. Bockting, PhD; Sand Chang, PhD; Kelly Ducheny, PsyD; Laura Edwards-Leeper, PhD; Randall D. Ehrbar, PsyD; Max Fuentes Fuhrmann, PhD; Michael L. Hendricks, PhD; and Ellen Magalhaes, PhD.
Other action
Among other actions, APA's council:
- Voted to make public the cost of the report of the Independent Review relating to APA ethics guidelines, national security interrogations and torture. The cost for professional fees and expenses in connection with the Independent Review were $4.3 million through July 15. A final report of expenses will be provided once all of the costs have been billed. The costs will be paid from the net assets of the association, which were $61.5 million on Dec. 31, per the audited financial statements.
- Adopted a statement in support of the independence of psychologists. The policy says that APA supports removing "barriers to quality care, including prohibitions on cross-specialty, business partnerships or models" to enhance opportunities for psychologists arising from the Affordable Care Act.
- Adopted the Guidelines on Trauma Competencies for Education and Training as APA policy. The competencies are intended to guide U.S. education and training for practice and are based on the work conducted at a national consensus conference on trauma.
- Approved a revision of the Standards and Criteria for Approval of Sponsors of Continuing Education for Psychologists. Sponsors must meet the standards to receive APA approval for CE offerings.
- Approved rehabilitation psychology as a new specialty for a seven-year period. Rehabilitation psychologists help to identify the psychological, social, behavioral, educational and adaptive equipment needs of people with disabilities.
- Approved for seven more years the recognition of psychoanalysis in psychology as a specialty in professional psychology. APA first approved psychoanalysis as a specialty in 1995.
- Approved a one-year extension of two other specialties: Forensic psychology and treatment of alcohol and other psychoactive substance use disorders. APA first recognized both areas as specialties in 2001. During its spring meeting, APA's Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology determined that more information was needed to continue recognition of the specialties. That information will be provided by next year so that the council can reconsider each specialty.
- Endorsed in principle the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) Interjurisdictional Compact, which seeks to facilitate telehealth and temporary face-to-face psychology practice across state lines. In the months ahead, ASPPB will be working with the Council of State Governments to create a resources kit, a website and webinars to inform people about the compact.
— Compiled from staff reports