GESTIÓN EN SALUD PÚBLICA: Compromise on APA torture paper

domingo, 10 de septiembre de 2017

Compromise on APA torture paper

Compromise on APA torture paper

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Bioedge

Compromise on APA torture paper

by Xavier Symons | 9 Sep 2017 |

A controversial paper on the American Psychological Association’s involvement in post-9/11 torture has been republished in the journal Teaching of Psychology – just one month after it was retracted by the journal’s editors.

The paper, written by University of Colorado Denver psychologist Mitchell M. Handelsman, summarises the findings of the 2015 Hoffman Report – an independent review that found that the APA had tacitly endorsed the involvement of military psychologists in Guantanamo Bay torture – and offers suggestions on how the APA torture scandal can be used to teach ethics to psychology students.

The paper considers how the alleged collusion between APA officials and the Department of Defense might be used to illustrate numerous psychological concepts for students including obedience, groupthink, terror management theory, group influence, and motivation.

In June, De Paul University psychologist Gerry Koocher – a former president of the APA who is mentioned in the Hoffman report – complained to the editors of the journal that the paper was one-sided and did not mention an ongoing defamation suit against Hoffman and the APA.

The editors immediately retracted the paper.

But the paper has now been republished, with an editorial note that explains the broader context of the discussion and calls on readers to monitor developments in the ongoing lawsuit.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Planned Parenthood is an organisation which inspires both love and loathing. One of its admirers is the Lasker Foundation, which has just presented it with the Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award for services to reproductive health.

Since many Laskers have gone on to win Nobels, PP is suddenly on the starting blocks for a Nobel Peace Prize. If it were only for its success in promoting contraception and abortion, it might be too controversial even for the Norwegian Nobel Committee. However, as a one-fingered salute to President Donald Trump, who has promised to defund PP, it could prove nearly irresistible. Read all about it below.

On a completely different topic, if you happen to live in Melbourne and are free on Thursday evening, there will be a launch of my book, The Great Human Dignity Heist, in Carlton. The details are on our Facebook page. It would be great to meet lots of BioEdge readers there.

Cheers,