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Author: Dr. Bruce A. Thyer
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826177689
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 331
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Book Description
While many psychosocial interventions used in social work practice have strong research evidence supporting their efficacy, a surprising number do not, potentially resulting in harmful outcomes. In this book, the authors cast a critical eye on the reality of commonly used scientific and pseudoscientific practices in social work today. Stressing the need for separating research-based practices from those not supported by adequate levels of evidence, they examine the scientific and pseudoscientific bases for popular social work interventions used in a variety of treatment settings. The text describes the history and characteristics of pseudoscience, along with the misuse of legitimate research. It examines pseudoscience practices in clinical assessment; working with children, adolescents, and adults; treating individuals with developmental difficulties; and how social work education training can and should discourage pseudoscience. The concluding chapter describes pathways through which social work practice can become more firmly grounded in contemporary scientific research. With the aim of promoting critical thinking among social work students and practitioners regarding the research behind popular interventions, this engaging book will be of value for courses in critical thinking and EBP and useful for all social work students and practitioners. Key Features: Promotes critical thinking regarding the evidence-based research-or lack thereof-behind a variety of social work interventions Written by renowned social work educators Addresses the history and characteristics of pseudoscience Examines pseudoscience practices in assessment and work with children, adolescents, adults, and individuals with developmental difficulties Presented in a clear and engaging style
Author: Dr. Bruce A. Thyer
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826177689
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 331
Get Book
Book Description
While many psychosocial interventions used in social work practice have strong research evidence supporting their efficacy, a surprising number do not, potentially resulting in harmful outcomes. In this book, the authors cast a critical eye on the reality of commonly used scientific and pseudoscientific practices in social work today. Stressing the need for separating research-based practices from those not supported by adequate levels of evidence, they examine the scientific and pseudoscientific bases for popular social work interventions used in a variety of treatment settings. The text describes the history and characteristics of pseudoscience, along with the misuse of legitimate research. It examines pseudoscience practices in clinical assessment; working with children, adolescents, and adults; treating individuals with developmental difficulties; and how social work education training can and should discourage pseudoscience. The concluding chapter describes pathways through which social work practice can become more firmly grounded in contemporary scientific research. With the aim of promoting critical thinking among social work students and practitioners regarding the research behind popular interventions, this engaging book will be of value for courses in critical thinking and EBP and useful for all social work students and practitioners. Key Features: Promotes critical thinking regarding the evidence-based research-or lack thereof-behind a variety of social work interventions Written by renowned social work educators Addresses the history and characteristics of pseudoscience Examines pseudoscience practices in assessment and work with children, adolescents, adults, and individuals with developmental difficulties Presented in a clear and engaging style
Author: Dr. Bruce A. Thyer, PhD, LCSW, BCBA-D
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826177697
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304
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Book Description
"Science is a way of thinking about and investigating the accuracy of assumptions about the world. It is a process for solving problems in which we learn from our mistakes. Social work has a long history of social reform and helping efforts. Let us continue this by paying attention to the important message of this book. --Eileen Gambrill, PhD, School of Social Welfare University of California at Berkeley (From the Foreword) Although many psychosocial interventions used in social work practice have strong research evidence supporting their efficacy, a surprising number do not, potentially resulting in harmful outcomes. In this book, the authors cast a critical eye on the reality of commonly used scientific and pseudoscientific practices in social work today. Stressing the need for separating research-based practices from those not supported by adequate levels of evidence, they examine the scientific and pseudoscientific bases for popular social work interventions used in a variety of treatment settings. The text examines the misuse of legitimate research and describes how social work education training can and should discourage pseudoscience. The concluding chapter describes pathways through which social work practice can become more firmly grounded in contemporary scientific research. This engaging book is intended for courses in critical thinking and evidence-based practice and is a valuable resource for all social work students and practitioners. Key Features: Promotes critical thinking regarding the evidence-based research--or lack thereof--behind a variety of social work interventions Written by renowned social work educators Addresses the history and characteristics of pseudoscience Examines pseudoscience practices in assessment and work with children, adolescents, adults, and individuals with developmental difficulties
Author: Scott O. Lilienfeld
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 1462509029
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 498
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Book Description
This is the first major text designed to help professionals and students evaluate the merits of popular yet controversial practices in clinical psychology, differentiating those that can stand up to the rigors of science from those that cannot. Leading researchers review widely used therapies for alcoholism, infantile autism, ADHD, and posttraumatic stress disorder; herbal remedies for depression and anxiety; suggestive techniques for memory recovery; and self-help models. Other topics covered include issues surrounding psychological expert testimony, the uses of projective assessment techniques, and unanswered questions about dissociative identity disorder. Providing knowledge to guide truly accountable mental health practice, the volume also imparts critical skills for designing and evaluating psychological research programs. It is ideal for use in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and evidence-based practice.
Author: Scott O. Lilienfeld
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 146251751X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 578
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Book Description
This valued resource helps practitioners and students evaluate the merits of popular yet controversial practices in clinical psychology and allied fields, and base treatment decisions on the best available research. Leading authorities review widely used therapies for a range of child, adolescent, and adult disorders, differentiating between those that can stand up to the rigors of science and those that cannot. Questionable assessment and diagnostic techniques and self-help models are also examined. The volume provides essential skills for thinking critically as a practitioner, evaluating the validity of scientific claims, and steering clear of treatments that are ineffective or even harmful. New to This Edition *Reflects the significant growth of evidence-based practices in the last decade. *Updated throughout with the latest treatment research. *Chapter on attachment therapy. *Chapter on controversial interventions for child and adolescent antisocial behavior. *Addresses changes in DSM-5.
Author: Lisa Rapp-McCall
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190095547
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1477
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Book Description
"What makes the profession of social work distinctive and exciting? How do social workers differ from sociologists, psychologists, and other counselors, advocates, and helping professionals? Which degrees, licenses, and credentials can social workers obtain? And in what kinds of work, or fields of practice, can social workers specialize? All these questions are worth considering when one feels led to become a professional social worker"--
Author: Caleb W. Lack, PhD
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826194265
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 304
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Book Description
This unique text for undergraduate courses teaches students to apply critical thinking skills across all academic disciplines by examining popular pseudoscientific claims through a multidisciplinary lens. Rather than merely focusing on critical thinking grounded in philosophy and psychology, the text incorporates the perspectives of biology, physics, medicine, and other disciplines to reinforce different categories of rational explanation. The book is also distinguished by its respectful approach to individuals whose ideas are, according to the authors, deeply flawed. Accessible and engaging, it describes what critical thinking is, why it is important, and how to learn and apply skillsóusing scientific methods--that promote it. The text also examines why critical thinking can be difficult to engage in and explores the psychological and social reasons why people are drawn to and find credence in extraordinary claims. From alien abductions and psychic phenomena to strange creatures and unsupported alternative medical treatments, the text uses examples from a wide range of pseudoscience fields and brings evidence from diverse disciplines to critically examine these erroneous claims. Particularly timely is the text's examination of how, using the narrative of today's "culture wars," religion and culture impact science. The authors focus on how the human brain, rife with natural biases, does not process information in a rational fashion, and the social factors that prevent individuals from gaining an unbiased, critical perspective on information. Authored by a psychologist and a philosopher who have extensive experience teaching and writing on critical thinking and skeptical inquiry, this work will help students to strengthen their skills in reasoning and debate, become intelligent consumers of research, and make well-informed choices as citizens. Key Features: Addresses the foundations of critical thinking and how to apply it through the popular activity of examining pseudoscience Explains why humans are vulnerable to pseudoscientific claims and how critical thinking can overcome fallacies and biases Reinforces critical thinking through multidisciplinary analyses of pseudoscience Examines how religion and culture impact science Enlightens using an engaging, entertaining approach Written by experienced and innovative scholar/educators well known in the skeptic community Features teaching resources including an Instructor's Guide and Powepoint slides
Author: Bruce A. Thyer
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 023155396X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 429
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Book Description
Experimental research is of great value to social work. Well-designed studies help social workers understand which approaches are most effective, with implications for both practice with individual clients and social policy more broadly. Many social work practitioners conduct studies that randomly assign clients to specific interventions and various control groups in order to assess policy outcomes. However, social work programs often do not teach experimental methods. Critics continue to assert that true experiments are impractical, unethical, or simply too blunt a tool to evaluate the effects of social work practices and policies. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the theory and practice of experimental research in the field of social work. Bruce A. Thyer describes the logic and design of experimental methods, helping readers understand the basics and then exploring increasingly complex and sophisticated research. He illustrates key principles through examples of how social workers have evaluated real-world practice approaches. The book considers recruitment and representation of marginalized groups, the ethical issues involved in the design and conduct of experiments, and how social work researchers can ensure that all participants in an experimental study benefit from effective care. An appendix contains a chronological listing of published studies authored by social workers who conducted experimental research. Accessible to social work undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students alike and valuable for professionals from clinical workers to policy analysts, this book demonstrates the utility of experimental research across the entire spectrum of social work practice.
Author: Reginald O. York
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781506387215
Category : Social service
Languages : en
Pages : 498
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Book Description
KEY FEATURES: A ‵‵learn by doing" approach woven throughout the text helps students apply knowledge to practice. A three-part structure introduces the fundamentals of research methods, the different types of social work research, and the use of data analysis for evaluation of social work practice. Chapter-opening vignettes illustrate the value of chapter content to the practicing social worker. Chapter-ending practice exercises provide opportunities to apply chapter knowledge and gain a better understanding of research competencies. Practical guidelines for data analysis show students how to use the Internet to analyze data with simple step-by-step instructions. Discussion questions provide opportunities to spark class discussions and help students reflect on critical concepts. Chapter tests, lists of key learnings, and glossaries at the end of chapters serve as convenient tools for reviewing key concepts and definitions.
Author: Frederic G. Reamer
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 023155530X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 418
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Book Description
Social work rests on complex philosophical assumptions that should be central to practice, education, and training. In this book, Frederic G. Reamer explores how these issues bear on the purpose, methods, and perspectives of social work and their far-reaching implications for practice and scholarship. Reamer examines major themes across the domains of moral and political philosophy, logic, epistemology, and aesthetics. He raises questions such as: How can ethical theories inform social workers’ moral judgments? In what ways are canons of inductive and deductive logic relevant to social workers’ thinking about their work? To what extent can scientific inquiry help social workers understand the nature and effect of their interventions? How can concepts related to aesthetics shed light on the nature of social work? Reamer’s nuanced inquiry never loses sight of the concrete applications of philosophy to social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, or to broader goals of social change. This second edition of The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work is revised and updated throughout to address contemporary challenges. It focuses especially on newer thinking about the role of non-Western philosophical perspectives and the relevance of philosophy to social workers’ commitments to multiculturalism, feminism, and antiracism.
Author: Eileen D. Gambrill
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195173422
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 858
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Book Description
Part I. Getting Oriented1. Social work: An introduction2. Clients and services3. Values, ethics, and obligationsPart II. Thinking about knowledge and how to get it4. Different views of knowledge5. Critical thinking: Values, knowledge, and skillsPart III. Thinking about problems and causes6. Competing views of problems and causes7. Taking advantage of research findings about behavior and how it is influenced by the environmentPart IV. A problem-solving practice model8. Problem solving and decision making: Integral to helping clients9. Evidence-based practice: A problem-solving process and philosophy10. Posing questions and searching for answers11. A bare-bones guide to critically appraising practice-related researchPart V. Getting started12. Contextual assessment13. Beginning: A procedural guide14. Engaging clientsPart VI. Relationship skills15. Interpersonal helping skills16. Handling challenging social situationsPart VII. Gathering and organizing information17. Where to look: Deciding how to gather needed information18. Observation: Learning to see19. Reviewing resources and obstacles20. Putting it all togetherPart VIII. Selecting plans and assessing progress21. Selecting and Implementing service plans22. Evaluating outcomes as integral to problem solving23. Planning for endingsPart IX. Intervention options24. Education and skill building25. Helping clients learn positive behavior change skills26. Working with groups and families27. Working with organizations and communitiesPart X. The long run28. Maintaining skills and staying happy in your workReferences Index.
