Perspectives on Psychology in Schools of Communication and Journalism, Architecture, and

Gerontology

Perspectives on Psychology in Schools of Communication and Journalism, Architecture, and

Gerontology

Gerald C. Davison, Ph.D.Dean, USC Davis School of Gerontology

Executive Director, USC Andrus Gerontology Center

Gerald C. Davison, Ph.D.Dean, USC Davis School of Gerontology

Executive Director, USC Andrus Gerontology Center

The LearnersThe Learners

• Annenberg School for Communication – Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D.

• Architecture – Bachelors and Masters

• Gerontology – Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D.

• Annenberg School for Communication – Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D.

• Architecture – Bachelors and Masters

• Gerontology – Bachelors, Masters, Ph.D.

Is Psychology Required?Is Psychology Required?

• Only in Gero and for Undergraduate and Masters Students – Human Development and Aging (gateway course); Psychology of Adult Development

• Only in Gero and for Undergraduate and Masters Students – Human Development and Aging (gateway course); Psychology of Adult Development

Role/RationaleRole/Rationale

• Gerontology – psychology key core discipline along with biology, sociology, and social policy.

• Psychology key for both its content and its methodologies.

• Gerontology – psychology key core discipline along with biology, sociology, and social policy.

• Psychology key for both its content and its methodologies.

Special IssuesSpecial Issues

• Making science relevant in a professional school like the Davis School of Gerontology – the familiar science-practice dialectic.

• Inherently interdisciplinary nature of psychology makes it easier for our psychologists to collaborate or at least tolerate the biologists and sociologists and vice versa.

• Making science relevant in a professional school like the Davis School of Gerontology – the familiar science-practice dialectic.

• Inherently interdisciplinary nature of psychology makes it easier for our psychologists to collaborate or at least tolerate the biologists and sociologists and vice versa.

Opportunities and BarriersOpportunities and Barriers

• Great importance of psychology in analysis of the human condition

• Relevance of psychology in cautioning about bias in perception (especially for journalists)

• Centrifugal forces in psychology threaten our institutional and scientific-applied identity.

• Great importance of psychology in analysis of the human condition

• Relevance of psychology in cautioning about bias in perception (especially for journalists)

• Centrifugal forces in psychology threaten our institutional and scientific-applied identity.

Implications for PsychologyImplications for Psychology

• Complex social problems, more and more a mandated focus for higher education, require approaches that go beyond the expertise of today’s existing fields and administrative structures.

• Narrow psychology education at all levels will vitiate our ability to integrate with and contribute to interdisciplinary research and training.

• Complex social problems, more and more a mandated focus for higher education, require approaches that go beyond the expertise of today’s existing fields and administrative structures.

• Narrow psychology education at all levels will vitiate our ability to integrate with and contribute to interdisciplinary research and training.

Preparing for the FuturePreparing for the Future

• Broad and general in psychology is key.

• Concentrate on our strengths and evolving knowledge base.

• Avoid overly focusing on the applied if it is at the expense of core education and training in the science.

• Broad and general in psychology is key.

• Concentrate on our strengths and evolving knowledge base.

• Avoid overly focusing on the applied if it is at the expense of core education and training in the science.

Role for APARole for APA

• Speak vigorously and consistently about psychology’s central role in understanding the human condition, e.g., we do not assess and treat psychiatric disorders; we assess and treat psychological disorders.

• Caveat: APA’s focus on prescription privileges distracts and uses resources better allocated elsewhere.

• Speak vigorously and consistently about psychology’s central role in understanding the human condition, e.g., we do not assess and treat psychiatric disorders; we assess and treat psychological disorders.

• Caveat: APA’s focus on prescription privileges distracts and uses resources better allocated elsewhere.