Gwendolyn Puryear Keita

Male violence against women. Current research and future directions

This Psychology in the Public Forum section, authored by the American Psychological Associations Committee on Women in Psychologys Task Force on Male Violence Against Women and by Senator Joseph Biden, examines the prevalence, impact, and public policy dimensions of physical assault, sexual assault, and sexual harassment of women. This introduction reviews common themes that emerge from the articles that follow. It concludes by emphasizing that the problem of violence against women cannot be fully understood, let alone solved, by focusing exclusively on individual psychology. Only by changing the social and cultural institutions that have given rise to the problem can a lasting solution be achieved.

Reducing adverse reaction to stress in the workplace. Psychology's expanding role.

This section draws attention to occupational stress and suggests ways in which psychologists can apply their knowledge of research methods and treatment to this issue. In this article, the past and present role of psychologists in occupational stress is examined and ways in which psychologists might play a more central role are proposed. Although industrial/organizational and health psychology are most obviously applicable to the study of workplace wellness, more focused attention and wider application of knowledge from other subspecialities are also examined. The need for increased attention to work and family; race, class, and gender; and training and public policy issues are also discussed.

“If We Do Not Do it, Then Who Will?” An Interview with Carolyn Robertson Payton

In this interview, Payton describes a long and distinguished career encompassing research, academia, and counseling practice, ultimately as director of the Howard University Counseling Service (UCS), and public service with the Peace Corps, ultimately as its director. She served on American Psychological Association (APA) committees dealing with ethics, bias and sex role stereotyping in psychotherapy, women, gay concerns, and policy and planning, as well as on various journal editorial boards. Underlying this wide-ranging and multifaceted career was Payton’s lifelong commitment to equality, justice, and inclusion and her belief that all people are of equal worth. Within the field of counseling psychology, she provided strong leadership in the development of group counseling technique, especially for people of color. As director of UCS, she drew on her experience with an egalitarian Peace Corps in developing group counseling at Howard’s UCS, especially for people of color, believing that “we help each other” was the best model for teaching people to believe in themselves.