Saturday, September 20, 2014

Reading Materials in Industrial Psychology


The link of reading materials (17 PDF files)  below were shared to us by one of our readers. Also we added some materials taken from the  website of Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). All the reading materials can be found in google document drive. Copyrights of those presentation materials converted to PDF belong to the owner.

Try to go through these materials but continue to focus on those that will be useful and according to the TOS outline on Industrial Psychology.




Link of the files:





Friday, September 12, 2014

More advice for those taking the Philippine Psychometrician Licensure Exam

With permission from and gratitude to both Dr. Enrico Paolo C. Banzuela and Dr. Vincent M. Varilla, this blog post is an excerpt from their (tweaked, reworded some parts of the original for it to be more applicable to Psychometrician) - TOPNOTCH BOARD PREP PRIMER TO THE PHILIPPINE PHYSICIAN LICENSURE EXAMINATIONS VERSION 2010.


Image source - http://www.bendpak.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/final-tips.jpg


Final Advice

1. Most of you will never feel 100% prepared. You may study for 3 months or 6 months, read thru many review books twice or thrice, answer sample exams for weeks, but in the end, there  would always be the feeling that you still don’t know enough --kulang pa. Don’t be too hard on yourself. As long as you have a well-written plan and you have carried out that plan to the best of your abilities, have faith in yourself and have faith in God.

2. Most of you will feel that you have flunked. Whether it’s the entire Med Boards, or just one or a few subjects, most of you  will feel that you have flunked the Boards right after taking the exam. Understand that this is a natural reaction due to the difficulty of the exams, and take comfort in the fact that colleagues must be feeling the exact, same thing. Hope for the best and pray.

3. The Boards is an imperfect exam. There will be some typos, grammatical errors, and repeated questions in the board  exams. Expect these and do not be distracted by them too much.

4. Rumors distract you from the goal. There will be plenty of  rumors before, during and after the exams regarding exam “leakages”, list of passers even before the actual announcement by the PRC, ‘patok’ resources that should have been read because questions were lifted from them ‘word for word’, etc. We suggest that you ignore them. That’s right: ignore them. In almost every case these rumors are untrue and unfounded, and they serve as a distraction. Pray and hope for the best after.


Preparation

1. Set your goal – do you want to merely pass the exams or be one of the topnotchers? Set your goal, make your plans to reach this goal and execute the plan with die-hard determination. Topping the Boards is not impossible – you could have average grades in med school and still top the boards by studying earlier (start during internship) or longer (take the February Boards). If you make this your goal in your own board exams, don’t think you’re being too ambitious. Dream, plan and then execute.

2. Analyze how you learn – be honest! Ask yourself the following questions and conduct your review in a manner most beneficial to you:

➢ Do you learn better if you’re alone or with a study group?
➢ Are you a “visual” person who can absorb more information by reading books or an “audio” person who can absorb information better if there is another person who lectures to you or verbally quizzes you?
➢ Are you the type of person who gets better exam scores whenever you read voluminous material once, or do you get better scores if you read simpler books several times?
➢ Do you study better if you’re in a noisy room full of gorgeous people (e.g. in Starbucks) or in a quiet library?
➢ Can you retain more information if there’s music in the background, junk food in front of you, and bright lights in the room?
➢ Are you, like some people, unable to concentrate and study at home? Do you find your home and your family roles just too distracting for this kind of intense, serious review?
➢ Do you feel unprepared about the Boards, to the extent to which that you would prefer hearing lectures about the Board Topics again within the structure of a formal review?
➢ What are the possible distractions during your review? Write them down along with your plans on how to respond to them.

3. Make your plans based on your goal and learning style.

Create a schedule and stick to it – this consists of a daily routine and schedule of subjects to be studied.
A daily routine for the board exam depends on you and your learning style. Put whatever you think would help you pass the boards in your daily routine e.g. exercise, going to mass, yoga, answering reviewer everyday. The rationale for a daily routine is to keep your body clock as regular and as predictable as possible so that you’ll be at your most attentive yet relaxed state during your review and the exam itself.

After planning for your daily routine, make a schedule of subjects to study. The study schedule you have made, you’ll realize soon enough, will not always be achieved, as things have a way of not going according to plan and you would sometimes finish earlier or later than you have planned. Look at your schedule and make changes accordingly.

There would really be days when you would get burned-out. Relax, watch a movie or sleep the whole day. Burn-out is expected, and you would really have to take a rest for awhile. But bounce back as soon as possible.


Don’t forget the basics in studying -- eat well, sleep well and pray hard.


Some tips regarding schedules:

1. Most of us will be following a schedule that we ourselves created for the first time. Create it well and be as specific as possible. (e.g. time for going to the restroom, time to fix hair, time to text family, etc.)

2. Post your schedule where you can see it everyday. (e.g. in your study table, in your bed, in your restroom, or in all of the above)

3. Your alarm clock and wrist watch will be your bestfriends. Make sure you have these two and use them very well.

4. Your roommates (if applicable) may help you stick to your sked or veer your away from it. Adjust accordingly.


Choosing Your Study Material

If you have read them before, and you want to increase your chances of topping the Board, use your  textbooks. Textbooks are the “Gold Standard” for board exams. They will always beat review books in terms of content.

Supplement your review books with sample exams.


Answering Sample Exams Everyday

One of the most difficult things to do is to convince reviewers  to answer sample exams daily. Most would rather read first rather than answer questions. By answering sample exams everyday, you’ll be able to know which things are relevant and which particular facts you should focus on. It would also enhance your test-taking skills.


Let us repeat that: test-taking skills.

The board exam is not merely a campaign to read as much material as possible as many times as possible.
While it’s useful to learn content, be aware that you won’t be reading textbooks or review books in the boards, you’ll be answering multiple-choice questions. Just like taking free throws during practice, the more you do it, the better your performance when it’s “game-time.”

Just have the correct attitude with regards to answering sample exams. Most students answer sample exams hoping that the questions and the actual answer will come out in the exam. The chances of that happening are slim.

When you answer exams, look at the other choices aside from the correct one. Discuss why they were included in the first place; find out why they are wrong. Then write why the correct choice is such. This ability to distinguish right choices from the wrong ones and to discuss why is the purpose of answering these sample exams.

In the exam you will be doing precisely that– eliminating wrong choices before you arrive at the actual answer.

Remember to answer at least 100 sample exam questions everyday – 50 in the morning upon waking up while having breakfast and another 50 before you go to sleep.


Dealing with your Family, Love Ones and Friends

Communicate with your parents your fears and concerns about the exam. Solicit their help and understanding no matter what the outcome might be and pledge that you’ll be giving your very best.

For your significant other(s), tell them that you’ll need to focus on the exam and that they need to understand that you have to spend less time with them and more time hitting the books for the next three months (few days!!!).

For your friends, especially those whom you consider to be good influences, make the board exam your great adventure. Bunk in together, conduct small-group discussions, emotionally support each other. Study together, have fun together and ultimately, be licensed physicians together.

One important social commandment that that you should follow: Be kind to everyone.

The board exam will bring out the best and the worst in people, which includes you, your parents, your love ones and your friends. Like what was said in the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

So be the first to understand why people sometimes act crazy while you’re busy preparing for the board exam– and be kind to everyone!


Preparing for the Board – Exam Days

Some people would take the exam whether they feel prepared or not, but other people would like to assess their chances before they take it.

There’s no hard and fast rule that will tell you whether you’re ready to take the boards or not, but we think that these guide questions will help:

1. Did you have good grades during college days? If not then you definitely should have studied harder after your internship. If, after honest introspection, you haven’t studied that hard, and in fact have failed to finish some subjects, maybe you should open yourself up to the idea of studying longer in preparation for the next exam.

2. Were you able to stick to your schedule (which has to be well planned) more than 90% of the time?

3. In the sample exams that you are answering now that the exam is near are you getting scores at least 60/100 consistently in almost all subjects?

4. Are you physically and emotionally ready (psychologically fit?) to take the licensure exam?

Be honest in answering the questions above and use them as guide in making your decision. If you have decided to take the licensure exam, let us plan for the Big Day itself.

First, make sure that at least two weeks before the exams, you have adjusted your body clock to fit the board exam sked – meaning you should stop taking siestas from 7am-4pm. A week before the exam, start sleeping as early as 9pm or 10pm.

You can also go to your testing site a day before the exam so that you’ll know whether you should bring a mini-fan or a jacket during your Boards (depends on the temperature of your room). You are required to take the exams in your school uniform although in our experience this isn’t strictly enforced.

The night before the exam, prepare to bring the following PRC- mandated materials:

1. Notice of Admission 2. PRC Official Receipt 3. Application Stub 4. PRC Official Receipt 5. Black Ballpen 6. Two Mongol Pencils No.2 7. One Long Brown Envelope 8. One Metered-Stamp Window Envelope 9. One Long Transparent (clear) Plastic Envelope

It’s also useful to bring the following on your exam day (need to verify this):
10. Water
11. Baon (sandwiches, fruits, etc.) - transparent container/ziplock
12. Certain meds – painkillers, antidiarrheal meds, etc.

Stop studying and make sure you’re in bed by 9pm the night before your exams. Remember that you have to wake up very early the next morning.

Come to your site around 6:30AM. Make sure that you are never late for the exams! Do some last-minute pep talks with your friends and classmates.

You have one hour breaks between subjects. You can eat during these breaks - separate rooms are provided. Attend to your restroom needs since you won’t be able to go out of the room once the exam starts. While taking the exams, maintain your focus and never panic.


Preparing for the Results of the licensure exam

First things first, prepare for any eventuality. Don’t ignore the various possibilities regarding the results of the exam. The more you bring these emotions out into the surface, the better it is for you and your loved ones.

Reflect on this long before your exam: what will I do and how would I react in these situations:

A.) I top the Psychometrician licensure exam
B.) I passed the Psychometrician licensure exam
C.) I failed the Psychometrician licensure exam

Prepare your parents, love ones and friends for the best and the worst.

Some tips: if you pass, pay it forward and help other people. If you fail, don’t do anything stupid like hurting yourself – assess what you still need to do, keep your chin up and know that you will be a licensed Psychometrician/Psychologist, it will just take a little longer. Have faith in your GOD,  and have faith in yourself.

Be informed that the results are released 2-3 days after the last day of the exams. People text or call those who have passed immediately. You can tune in to the radio or view the following websites to confirm: this blog, Inquirer, BomboRaydo, PRC website, etc. to confirm.

For those who have flunked the exams, your grades are mailed to you as soon as possible. For those who have passed, your grades are mailed to you 1-2 months after.

The oathtaking is set 2-4 weeks  after the last day of exams (December?) and is usually held at the PICC. Your PRC card is given immediately after the ceremonies; however, it’s advisable to just get them a week after to avoid the stampede.

Those who have taken the exam know that the licensure exam is neither a good indicator of the knowledge one possesses nor will it predict whether or not one would be a competent, ethical and caring Psychometrician/Psychologist. Thus, those of us who have passed the exam never look down upon those who have flunked it. However, the problem is that the public (which includes our relatives, friends and lower classmen) mistakenly think otherwise – thus there is so much pressure to pass on your very first try. In reality, one can flunk the exam even if one has good grades during college days and adequate preparation during the review.

More than a test of your knowledge, the licensure exam is a test of your character. The best tip we can give you is this: in the end, it doesn’t really matter what particular review books you have read; motivation, dedicated study, discipline, concentration and faith in God – these are actually what you need to pass the licensure exam. Give your best, study harder than ever before and always think positive thoughts.


Good luck to you, and may you pass the first ever Philippine Psychometrician Licensure Examinations!


Image source - http://pmgbiology.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/11100.png?w=540


====================================
About the Authors
Enrico Paolo C. Banzuela, MD Vincent M. Varilla, MD

Dr. Enrico Paolo Chiong Banzuela is part of Ateneo de Manila High School, Class 1998. He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Class 2005, Intarmed Program. He is a Clinical Instructor at San Beda College of Medicine teaching biochemistry and physiology. To improve his teaching skills, he is taking up his Master’s in Health Professions Education at the University of the Philippines- National Teachers Training Center. When he was starting his career, he was also a University Researcher under the PhilHealth Research Study Group, UP Manila - National Institutes of Health. He co-authored a book entitled “Survival Guide for Doctors, and Non-Doctors Too” with Dr.Willie Ong.

A seasoned and excellent reviewer for the Med Boards, teaching Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Dr.Banzuela created this primer to help as many medical graduates as possible pass the most difficult exam of their lives – the Med Boards.

Writing the current version of the primer with him is Dr.Vincent Maranan Varilla. Dr. Varilla graduated salutatorian of Philippine Science High School in 1997. He was then accepted as an Oblation Scholar of UP under its INTARMED program. After much thought, he decided against taking up Medicine and chose to take up Management Engineering in the Ateneo de Manila University instead. He graduated cum laude with a double degree in Economics-Honors, and took a short diplome course in International Relations from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) in Paris, France, graduating with High Distinction. He was active in student organizations throughout college, and became president of the Ateneo HPAIR (Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations) Union during his senior year.

He then worked for three years with Unilever Philippines. He had just received a recent promotion, and was also accepted for a fellowship in International Political Economy in New York, when he decided to finally fulfill his destiny and become a doctor. He was accepted at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in 2004 and graduated in May of 2009. Along the way, he managed to present a research paper in the Netherlands, take a clerkship elective in the United States, become president of a medical fraternity, and was awarded as an outstanding clerk/intern in several clinical rotations. He had done all these as a working student, supporting himself financially throughout Med School. Currently, Dr.Varilla is a lecturer in Pharmacology for the Med Boards.


Authors’ Note
The authors have attempted to make the contents of this primer as accurate and as up-to-date as possible. However, it is possible that the PRC or Board of Medicine have changed certain policies since this writing. The authors will gladly make corrections as these errors are brought to their attention, and you are highly encouraged to get in touch with them for these amendments. Thank you!

Dedication
For God, our Country, Our Family and Our Friends...For you! May this primer inform you, help you, and inspire you...

TOPNOTCH BOARD PREP PRIMER TO THE PHILIPPINE PHYSICIAN LICENSURE EXAMINATIONS VERSION 2010

For inquiries visit www.topnotchboardprep.com.ph or email us at topnotchboardprep@yahoo.com



Related links:

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/09/general-instruction-to-examinees-found.html

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/09/preparation-strategies-and-tips-for.html

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/08/taking-multiple-choice-exams-strategy.html

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/08/madalas-na-tanong-faq-2014.html

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Learn DSM IV-TR as well


Check the text and link below taken from FB, even in the US the application and implementation of DSM-5 remains a big issue in the US. So I hope that examiners for the licensure exam would be considerate enough to forego DSM 5 in the exam since it is relatively new. I wonder if Psychology professors and lecturers are themselves very much familiar about it.

Then there was this rumor, we call it since we were not in the orientation meant for teachers of Psychology subjects for the licensure exam and no one has verified it yet. Poor us doing self-review and not connected with any school now since most of us are not privy of what was told at the orientation.

So sariling sikap at tiyaga, we would like  to share some links and info about DSM IV-TR. Still to be safe as we have informed, learn the differences and similarities of DSM IV-TR with that of DSM 5.


So what is DSM IV-TR

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by clinicians and psychiatrists to diagnose psychiatric illnesses. Until May of 2013, the DSM-IV-TR was the most recent version of the manual. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and covers all categories of mental health disorders for both adults and children. The manual is non-theoretical and focused mostly on describing symptoms as well as statistics concerning which gender is most affected by the illness, the typical age of onset, the effects of treatment, and common treatment approaches.

The DSM-IV was originally published in 1994 and listed more than 250 mental disorders. An updated version, called the DSM-IV-TR, was published in 2000 and contains minor text revision in the descriptions of each disorder. Mental health providers use the manual to better understand a client's potential needs as well as a tool for assessment and diagnosis.

The DSM-IV TR is based on five different dimensions. This multiaxial approach allows clinicians and psychiatrists to make a more comprehensive evaluation of a client's level of functioning, because mental illnesses often impact many different life areas.


Axis I: Clinical Syndromes
This axis describes clinical symptoms that cause significant impairment. Disorders are grouped into different categories, including adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, and pervasive developmental disorders.

Axis II: Personality and Mental Retardation
This axis describes long-term problems that are overlooked in the presence of Axis I disorders. Personality disorders cause significant problems in how a patient relates to the world and include antisocial personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder. Mental retardation is characterized by intellectual impairment and deficits in other areas such as self-care and interpersonal skills.

Axis III: Medical Conditions
These include physical and medical conditions that may influence or worsen Axis 1 and Axis II disorders. Some examples may include HIV/AIDS and brain injuries.

Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
Any social or environmental problems that may impact Axis I or Axis II disorders are accounted for in this assessment. These may include such things as unemployment, relocation, divorce, or the death of a loved one.

Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning
This axis allows the clinician to rate the client's overall level of functioning. Based on this assessment, clinicians can better understand how the other four axes are interacting and the effect on the individual's life.

While the DSM-IV-TR is an important tool, it is important to note that only those who have received specialized training and possess sufficient experience are qualified to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Clinicians also use the DMS-IV to classify patients for billing purposes, since the government and many insurance carriers require a specific diagnosis in order to approve payment for treatment.

(source - http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/f/faq_dsm.htm)




Source - http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/219/225111/CD_DSMIV.pdf


------------------------------------------
(posted 9 September 2014) 
Learn How Your Practice Will Be Affected
The fifth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was released just over a year ago, and yet many providers are still unclear as to how these changes impact their practice. The Psych Congress 1-Day Regional Meeting in Anaheim, CA is proud to present a principal session in our 2014 program, “DSM-5: Practical Overview of Changes,” to ensure all mental health clinicians are up-to-date on the universal authority for psychiatric diagnosis.
This session will:
REVIEW the new organizational structure of the DSM-5
EXPLAIN the rationale, implications, and manifestations of incorporating a more dimensional approach to DSM-5
DESCRIBE the background and practical implications of the forthcoming changeover from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to ICD-10-CM codes
DISCUSS the changes being made throughout the DSM-5, including their rationale and practical implications
IDENTIFY the controversies surrounding some of the changes, including their pros and cons
This accredited session is part of the 12 CME/CE credits attendees can earn by attending the Anaheim co-located Psych Congress Regional 1-Day Meeting and International Bipolar Foundation’s First Annual West Coast Meeting. This session features expert faculty member Michael B. First, MD, editorial and coding consultant for DSM-5.
Maximize your mental health education by registering today for the co-located event and earn up to 12 CME/CE credits for as low as $99!
Each Psych Congress 1-Day Regional Meeting provides practical education aimed at improving the competence and confidence of mental health professionals in personalizing treatment


Related Links

http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/counseling/dsm4.html

https://www.msu.edu/course/cep/888/ADHD%20files/DSM-IV.htm

http://andromeda.galib.uga.edu/scholar/uga/databases/xdsm-uga1/?Welcome

Monday, September 8, 2014

Preparation Strategies and Tips for the Psychometrician Licensure Exam

Image source -http://sbrownehr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Hunger-Games-Salute.jpg


We tweaked this blog post to make it more applicable for those taking the psychometrician licensure exam here in the Philippines. The text  was adapted and quoted from the Preparation Strategies and Tips from the book EPPP fundamentals: review for the examination for professional practice in psychology authored by Walter Penk and Dolores K. Little. The material was provided to us by our friend from the police force or Philippine National Police (PNP).

Preparing for the Board Licensure Examination for Psychologist and Psychometrician (BLEPP) is
the most exciting and a challenging licensure exam to be given for the first this October 2014 for those aspiring to become licensed psychometricians and psychologists. 

Here are some techniques and strategies to consider.

Deliberate Practice Theory

It is not clear that deliberate practice theory, or the 10,000-hour practice rule (the amount of time it takes to become a world class expert), applies as much to psychologists as it does to expert musicians or other scientific thinkers (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer, 1993). Taking the board exam requires hard work in order to pass. Research shows that approximately 400 hours is generally sufficient when preparing for an exam but for others it might be doubled or trippled.

Getting Grit

It is also the time for grit, to access within one’s self and to promote one’s grit, defined as the personal characteristics of perseverance and passion for the longterm goal of becoming a psychometrician or psychologist (Duckworth, Kirby, Tsukayama, Berstein, & Ericsson, 2011). Psychology is both a profession and a science and it develops on case studies followed by randomized clinical trials, results from which must be learned and then applied.

Taking the board exam is a time when one stands alone, outside the care and comfort of one’s college, beyond facilities where one was trained to practice. It is an exercise where one has to prove and demonstrate what were learned and be qualified to be called a psychometrician.So it is a time to let go of your anxiety and worries and trust in your studies and abilities.


Test-Taking Strategies

In the PRC's NOA, among the prohibited acts include  "4. Taking out of the examination room any questions used in the examination, copying, and or divulging or making known the nature or content of any examination question or answer to any individual or entity. When you are through with the examination, return unused answer sheets or any other test materials furnished you by the Room Watcher." Whether the said act is applicable only during the exam day is to be clarified. Definitely the Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists does not contain provision regarding the licensure exam, but for psychology graduates they are expected to respect and observe certain ethics like test security, non-disclosure and the like so as to maintain the control and quality of the test.  

Reviewees can access “test-taking strategies videos” on Google or YouTube and relearn previous
skills for answering multiple-choice items like, eliminating wrong answers, solving easy items first, coping with tricky words, coping with “all” or “none” answers, and setting a comfortable pace. And we have posted this http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/08/taking-multiple-choice-exams-strategy.html before to serve as guide.


Distribute Your Learning

Test-taking strategies require that you constantly improve your skills for learning. Cramming for the EPPP, indeed, will yield some positive results. However, what you learn fast, you forget quickly. Psychology is a marathon, not a walk around the block.

Research by such psychologists as Henry L. Roediger III has demonstrated that we remember more of what we learn when we distribute our learning over time and learn by frequently self-testing ourselves about the content that we are learning (e.g., Roediger & Butler, 2011; 2012 award address at www.psycho
logicalscience.org/convention/videos). 

We must go beyond rereading, summarizing, outlining, and highlighting. Rather, we must also repeatedly test ourselves on the materials we are learning and the results and outcomes from what we practice.This principle, validated now by Roediger and others, is as old as psychology itself, for as William James taught us long ago, in Principles of Psychology, paraphrasing James: it is better to recollect from within than to look at a book again.

Updating observations by James from his time of books and journals to our time of the Internet and Apps, we improve our performance when we increase testing ourselves about the new materials we have just learned (Roediger, 2013). Our mastery of self-testing to improve working memory is just as important for
each one of us to do as it is for us to facilitate performances of others whom we may be training by teaching them to test themselves. Learning is testing (Simonton, 2008; Tsay & Nanaji, 2011). 

And the wisdom about learning required by preparing for the licensure exam is confirmed by recent reviews
about learning techniques that are effective (e.g., Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh,Nathan, & Willingham, 2013). As noted by Roediger (2013), cognitive and educational psychology are demonstrating that learning to test ourselves has been empirically validated as effective for learning, along with other approaches; for
example, distributed practice on tasks (not massed practice), the aforementioned retrieval practice (or testing), interweaved practice (i.e., interweaving topics while learning), elaborative interrogation (i.e., asking why information is true), and self-explanation (i.e., explaining information to one’s self).




Exercise the Body and the Mind

Prior to taking the board exam, one should exercise both body and mind. Taking the exam is likely to be improved when you yourself have mastered relaxation and meditation, when you yourself are exercising and practicing positive nutrition. Such mastery of mind and body is essential, because psychology is a field that
confronts and copes with stress. 

Psychology is a discipline in which clinicians vicariously experience stress and trauma when providing services for clients who have been stressed and traumatized. Exercise and meditation not only facilitate organization in coping with personal feelings, emotions, and thoughts, but likewise improve relationships with others. As a consequence, when preparing for the board exam, make effort to improve performance by balancing reading and reviewing with exercising and meditation. Preparing for the board exam is a matter of organizing one’s life around the age old principle of balancing time to create a sound body and sound mind. One should confront the exam well rested and relaxed.

(Interested in meditation check this site - http://www.brahmakumaris.org/philippines )


Reading Books and Peer-Reviewed Journals in the Internet Age

NO harm in reading journals to reinforce knowledge. And it should become a habit after passing the licensure exam to keep abreast with new developments in the field of Psychological Assessment. Maximize the internet for online resources both for text, videos and other multimedia resources (slides, ppt, audio recordings, etc).


Learning With Peers and Others

It is important that you form social groups, not just of supervisors but also peers, from whom to learn, not just facts, but categories of principles to practice. Training and having work experience related to the exam will be useful. Still there are professionals whom you can interact with and get coaching and mentoring. It will be ideal to form groups  of other examinees to study together; to develop tests taking abilities;  to improve
working memory; and to practice transferring principles of psychology from one kind of discipline to another and from one person to another. Peers are necessary to  corroborate acquired information and learning, as well as feedback from others. 

So let us all learn together through our FB page and this blog.


Persevere Until You Pass

A useful test-taking strategy, that you can accomplish at the outset, is agree to keep taking the licensure exam until you pass, the law is silent about the number of times you can take the exam. That means, from the beginning, that you plan for the worst possible outcome—not passing (although the statistics are definitely in your favor for passing the first time). You prepare by learning at the outset what you will do if you do not pass. From the beginning, you create your own personal support services from peers and supervisors. You obtain all the feedback you are able to amass. You constantly test with peers, supervisors, and clients the new skills you are learning.

Your main test-taking strategy is that you will persevere until you pass.




May the odds be ever in your favor.... May the source be with you... Kita-kits sa Oath Taking!




Source:

Klee, Anne S.
EPPP fundamentals : review for the examination for professional practice in psychology /
Anne S. Klee & Bret A. Moore. Springer, 2014.



Related Links:

http://iheartpsych.blogspot.com/2014/07/study-tips-for-board-exams.html

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/08/taking-multiple-choice-exams-strategy.html

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/09/general-instruction-to-examinees-found.html


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Guide Notes on Henry Murray: Theory of Personology




Essential Points About Henry Murray

Personality is located in the brain “No brain, No personality.”

From a Psychoanalytic Perspective Murray used the term personology to describe his study of human lives and individual differences in personality. He described a habit system as automatic, unconscious behaviors shaped by the id, ego, and superego. Murray emphasized positive instincts related to motivation and needs.

His theory of personality is based upon needs and motives that suggest our personalities are a reflection of behaviors controlled by needs. While some needs are temporary and changing, other needs are more deeply seated in our nature. According to Murray, these psychogenic needs function mostly on the unconscious level, but play a major role in our personality.

1) Murray was influenced by Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory although made his own distinction of  id and superego.

2) Importance of genetic and maturational factors in the stages of development of personality: a) childhood-adolescence-young adulthood, b) middle years, and c) senescence (final era).

3) Complex - effects of infantile experiences upon later behavior are clear and extensive. The five complexes are: a) claustral complexes, b) oral complex,  c) anal complex, d) urethral complex, e) genital or castration complex.

4) Need is a construct (a convenient or hypothetical concept) which stands free for a force. In the brain region, a force which organizes perception, apperception, intellection, conation and action in such a way as to transform in a certain direction existing, unsatisfying situation.

5) 5 different types of needs: a) Primary (viscerogenic needs) and Secondary Need (psychogenic needs),   b) Overt (motor) and Covert (fantasy/dreams) Needs, c) Focal and Diffuse Needs - anything related to the environmental objects - if it is unsuitable (fixation) - considered pathological, d) Proactive and Reactive Needs - from within - kinetic/response to environmental event e) Modal needs and effect needs - doing something with a certain degree of quality and excellence/lead to a desired state or end.

6) Press - environmental force that interacts with needs to determine behavior. Two kinds of press - alpha (objective) press and beta (perceived) press.

7) Thema - molar and interactive behavior unit - involves press and the need that is operating.

8) Strengths

  • promoted interest in psychoanalytic theory among academic psychologist
  • emphasized on the importance of the past and present context within which behavior takes place
  • intensive study of small numbers of normal people


9) Weaknesses

  • critics think his theory is borad
  • his skill at taxonomy creating fine distinctions and detailed classifications made his studies unecessarily complex
  • his writing and research not trendy at this current time


10) Trivia:

a) Had an affair (since he refused to leave wife Josephine Rantaul) with Christiana Morgan - co-author of TAT.

b) In 1943 Murray helped complete Analysis of the Personality of Adolph Hitler (predicted Hitler would
choose suicide if Germany is defeated and that Hitler had participated in a homosexual relationship).

c)Then 16-year-old Ted Kaczynski, participated in Murray's ethically questionable, CIA-sponsored MK ULTRA experiments in which twenty-two undergraduates were used as guinea pigs. Kaczynski who went on to become the Unabomber, a serial killer targeting academics and technologists.

d) Murray was a leading authority on the works of American author Herman Melville (Moby Dick) and
amassed  a collection of books, manuscripts and artifacts relating to Melville. At his death he was
preparing a book tentatively titled ''A Melville Mosaic: Morsels from the Unpublished Biography.''





Sources, References and Related Links:

Personality, D. Limpingco and G. Tria, 3e

http://www.slideshare.net/loannplacido/henry-murray

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/24/obituaries/henry-a-murray-is-dead-at-95-developer-of-personality-theory.html

http://www.psych.westminster.edu/psy311/murray_files/frame.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Murray

http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/psychogenic.htm

http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/murray.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray's_system_of_needs

http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/murray.html

Friday, September 5, 2014

Guide Notes on George Kelly: Personal Construct Psychology


Essential Points About George Kelly

(These essential points serve as summary or an overview on the Personality Theory of George Kelly. Readers are advised to read more in order to have a deeper appreciation and understanding of his theory. Wikipedia and materials available online were used as reference as well as textbooks for these essential points.)

His theory can be considered as phenomenological - studies focused on subjective experience; cognitive since it deals with mental events;  existential because of his emphasis on the future and the capacity to select one's own destiny; humanistic because it recognizes an individual's creative abilities directed at solving personal or sociological problems. For Kelly personality is adaptive and unique. In his work the influence of learning and culture was not emphasized but recognizes them as important in the growth, development and refinement of the personal construct system.

1) Constructive alternativism is the idea that, while there is only one true reality, reality is always experienced from one or another perspective, or alternative construction. There are always different ways to interpret or give meaning to any event everyone is capable of reconstruing events. Constructs provide a certain order, clarity, and prediction to a persons world.

2) Constructs are bipolar categories, the way two things are alike and different from a third, that people employ to understand the world.  A construct always implies contrast. (Ex. attractive-ugly, intelligent-stupid, kind-cruel)

Source - http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/kelly.html


3) Fundamental postulate: A person's processes are psychologically channelized by the way in which he anticipates events.

4) There are 11 supporting corollaries for the basic postulate:  (1) construction corollary, (2) individuality corollary, (3) organizational corollary, (4) dichotomy corollary,  (5) choice corollary,  (6) range corollary,  (7) experience corollary, (8) modulation corollary, (9) fragmentation corollary, (10) commonality corollary, (11) sociality corollary

5) Transitional periods in a person's life occur when he or she encounters a situation that changes his or her naive theory (or system of construction) of the way the world is ordered. They can create anxiety, hostility, and/or guilt and can also be opportunities to change one's constructs and the way one views the world.

  • Anxiety develops when a person encounters a situation that his or her construct system does not cover, an event unlike any he or she has encountered.
  • Guilt is dislodgment from one's core constructs. 
  • Hostility is "attempting to extort confirmation of a social prediction that is already failing.


6) Personal construct psychology (PCP) is a theory of personality and cognition. Kelly derived a psychotherapy approach and also a technique called The Repertory Grid Interview that helped his patients to uncover their own "constructs" (ways of seeing the world) with minimal intervention or interpretation by the therapist.

7) Repertory Grid itself is a matrix where the rows represent constructs found, the columns represent the elements, and cells indicate with a number the position of each element within each construct. The Repertory Grid was later adapted for various uses within organizations, including decision-making and interpretation of other people's world-views.

Source - http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/kelly.html
8) Concept of Humanity - optimistic view. On elaborative choice -  people choose alternative that offers greater opportunity, thus in making the present choices, we look ahead and pick the alternative that will increase our range of future choices.

9) Strengths

  • empirical evidence of Kelly's Personal Construct Theory relate to his approaches to assessment and therapy
  • client give the best and most information about themselves


10) Weaknesses

  • lack or limited empirical basis for identifying personal constructs
  • emphasis on logic and rationality - overlooked emotions 




References:

Theories of Personality, by J. Feist and G. Feist, 6 ed, 2006

Personality, by D. Limpingco and G. Tria, 3 ed, 2007

http://arabpsynet.com/journals/ajp/ajp20.1-p66.pdf

http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~gaines/pcp/

http://www.centrepcp.co.uk/proconstructs.htm

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/kelly.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_construct_psychology

http://www.enquirewithin.co.nz/theoryof.htm