One defining feature of psychology is its scientific nature. OPA’s Science Committee seeks to maintain a close relationship between the practice and science of psychology for the mutual benefit of both, and ultimately to improve human welfare. Furthermore, the Science Committee is committed to helping the development of science-minded students of psychology.
Science Committee Goals
1. Advise the OPA Board of Directors (BOD) on ways to fulfill OPA’s mission relative to advancing psychology as a science
2. Inform BOD and OPA members about advances in the science of psychology
3. Advise the BOD on ways to educate the public on the value of psychological research
4. Guide OPA in nurturing the funding base for research
5. Link OPA to science directorates at national associations (APA and APS)
6. Promote the development of psychology students as scientists
Science Committee Initiatives
Small College Roundtable (SCR) -The purpose of the Small College Roundtable, sponsored by the Ohio Psychological Association’s Science Committee, is to promote scholarship, faculty development, curriculum development and other topics of interest to small college* faculty.
*Schools that have an emphasis on undergraduate teaching for rank tenure and promotion decisions, relatively small student population (under 5,000), and limited endowment, grants, and/or funding (less than $3 million)
SCR Summary Reports
October 28, 2005
SCR Activities
Award for Academic Innovation
The Psychology Department Bus Tour
SCR Resources
APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major
APA Undergraduate Faculty Resources
APA Education Directorate
APA Division 2 - Society for the Teaching of Psychology
APS Teaching Psychology
Join the Small College Listserv
OPA Poster Session
Supporting Psychological Research
OPA's policy for distributing requests for research participants includes the following 4 criteria. If approved by the Science Committee, your information will be distributed via our member listserv of more than 700 individuals. Please address the items below when requesting help with research.
1) The person conducting the research must be a paid member of OPA (or their respective state association).
2) OPA requires that the person conducting the research send proof of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.
3) The name and contact information for the research advisor must be provided to OPA in advance.
4) A copy of the survey must be provided to OPA.
Send the above materials to Denise Brenner, director of operations and member services, and Central Office Staff will see that your research request is distributed to the listserv. Distribution of requests does not imply endorsement by either the OPA Science Committee or the Ohio Psychological Association.
Resources
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Integrating Science and Practice – several articles from the Journal of Clinical Psychology (2002, vol 58, no. 10) are noteworthy. “This series of articles attempts to redefine and reprioritize the role of science in search for a clinically meaningful and realistic version of the scientist-practitioner (S-P) model. To this end, science is discussed as both research-driven practice and clinically meaningful research, keeping practitioners and their needs in the center of attention. In this process, common problems in the actualization of the S-P model are discussed, and potential solutions are offered.” (Lampropoulos, G. K., & Spenglerm, P. M. (2002). Introduction: Reprioritizing the role of science in a realistic version of the scientist-practitioner model, J Clin Psychol, 58, 1195–1197).
1) How practitioners can systematically use empirical evidence in treatment selection (Beutler et al., pp. 1199-1212).
2) Using patient-focused research in evaluating treatment outcome in private practice (Asay et al., pp.1213–1225).
3) How psychotherapy integration can complement the scientist-practitioner model (Lampropoulos et al., pp. 1227-1240).
4) What Kind of Research Can We Realistically Expect from the Practitioner? (Lampropoulos et al., pp. 1241-1264).
5) Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Psychotherapy (Lueger, pp. 1265-1276).
6) What is a scientist-practitioner anyway? (Stricker, pp. 1277-1283).
7) Integrating science and practice: Reclaiming the science in practice (Carter, pp. 1285-1290).
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Conducting and Funding Research
o General Issues in Securing Funding
o Funding Resources
o General Guidelines for Winning Grants and Contracts
o General Considerations in Conducting Research
o Conducting Ethical Research
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Committee Members
Michael Dwyer, Ph.D., Baldwin Wallace College, Chair
Deb Esty, Ph.D., Baldwin Wallace College
John Marazita, Ph.D., Ohio Dominican University
Janette McDonald, Ph.D., Capital University
Kim Metz, Ph.D., Walsh University
Rose Mary Shaw, Psy.D., Wright State University