Even as psychology becomes increasingly splintered and specialized, as evi denced by the growing number of special interest divisions of the American Psy chological Association, many psychologists are devoting their energies to finding commonalities between traditionally distinct fields and building bridges between them. Developmental psychopathology, for example, has emerged as a synthesis of child development theory and clinical child psychology. Health psychology has resulted from the cooperation and collaboration of many psychologists from a number of fields, including clinical, counseling, social, developmental, and physiological. Within clinical psychology is a growing movement toward "rap prochement" that is dedicated to finding common themes among seemingly dis parate approaches to psychotherapy. Thus, integration among different fields has increased even as diversity in psychology has flourished. One such integration or interfacing effort that is related in several ways to the integrative efforts just noted involves social, clinical, and counseling psychology. Although this effort is not a new one (see chapter 1), it was given a new lease on life by the publication of the first issue ofthe Journal of Social and Clinical Psy chology in 1983. Since that time, several volumes and numerous journal article and book chapters have been devoted to the general notion that social psychologi cal theory and research has much to offer clinical and counseling psychology, such as greater understanding of psychological and everyday problems in living and insight into clinical and counseling activities such as psychotherapy.

Even as psychology becomes increasingly splintered and specialized, as evi denced by the growing number of special interest divisions of the American Psy chological Association, many psychologists are devoting their energies to finding commonalities between traditionally distinct fields and building bridges between them. Developmental psychopathology, for example, has emerged as a synthesis of child development theory and clinical child psychology. Health psychology has resulted from the cooperation and collaboration of many psychologists from a number of fields, including clinical, counseling, social, developmental, and physiological. Within clinical psychology is a growing movement toward "rap prochement" that is dedicated to finding common themes among seemingly dis parate approaches to psychotherapy. Thus, integration among different fields has increased even as diversity in psychology has flourished. One such integration or interfacing effort that is related in several ways to the integrative efforts just noted involves social, clinical, and counseling psychology. Although this effort is not a new one (see chapter 1), it was given a new lease on life by the publication of the first issue ofthe Journal of Social and Clinical Psy chology in 1983. Since that time, several volumes and numerous journal article and book chapters have been devoted to the general notion that social psychologi cal theory and research has much to offer clinical and counseling psychology, such as greater understanding of psychological and everyday problems in living and insight into clinical and counseling activities such as psychotherapy.

Publisher Description

Uniquely integrative and authoritative, this volume explores how advances in social psychology can deepen understanding and improve treatment of clinical problems. The role of basic psychological processes in mental health and disorder is examined by leading experts in social, clinical, and counseling psychology. Chapters present cutting-edge research on self and identity, self-regulation, interpersonal processes, social cognition, and emotion. The volume identifies specific ways that social psychology concepts, findings, and research methods can inform clinical assessment and diagnosis, as well as the development of effective treatments. Compelling topics include the social psychology of help seeking, therapeutic change, and the therapist–client relationship.

A colleague recently recounted a conversation she had had with a group of graduate students. For reasons that she cannot recall, the discussion had turned to the topic of "old-fashioned" ideas in psychology-perspectives and beliefs that had once enjoyed widespread support but that are now regarded as quaint curiosities. The students racked their brains to outdo one ofthe historical trivia of psychology: Le Bon's another with their knowledge fascination with the "group mind," Mesmer's theory of animal magnetism, the short-lived popularity of "moral therapy," Descartes' belief that erec tions are maintained by air from the lungs, and so on. When it came his tum to contribute to the discussion, one student brought up an enigmatic journal he had seen in the library stacks: the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. He thought that the inclusion of abnormal and social psychology within the covers of a single journal seemed an odd combination, and he wondered aloud what sort of historical quirk had led psychologists of an earlier generation to regard these two fields as somehow related. Our colleague then asked her students if they had any ideas about how such an odd combination had found its way into a single journal.