Professor Tim Carey on Psychological Science

Professor Tim Carey expresses his fascination with psychological science beginning from his training as a preschool teacher.
Initial exposure to classic psychological studies which include:
  - Milgram’s (1963) obedience studies
  - Zimbardo’s (1971) prison experiment
  - Asch’s (1951) conformity research
  - Rosenhan’s (1973) "On Being Sane in Insane Places"
Initial impression: These studies used novel procedures to demonstrate fundamental principles applicable broadly.
Noted later that methodological flaws exist in these studies but they remain potent demonstrations of insights into human nature.
Psychological science represents bold curiosity, innovation, and excitement in discovering new, important findings.
The scope of psychological science is vast, capable of assisting all human endeavors.

After graduation as a preschool teacher, Carey continued his interest in psychological science while training as a special education teacher.
Emphasized reliance on Skinner’s (1953) behavioral principles while working with handicapped students:
  - Initial enthusiasm for principles elucidated by Skinner.
  - Later discovered subtleties and limitations in Skinner’s research:
    - Deprivation is necessary for reinforcement schedules to work; rats had to be prepped by reducing their body weight.
    - Key principle: For reinforcement to be effective, Person A must find something Person B wants and ensure that Person B lacks access to it unless certain behavior is exhibited.
Countercontrol concept by Skinner:
  - Defined as aversive consequences of being controlled.
  - Skinner (1953): "Because of the aversive consequences of being controlled, the individual who undertakes to control other people is likely to be countercontrolled by all of them" (p. 321).
  - Emotional reactions such as anger can occur in individuals who experience countercontrol.
Carey's PhD research focused on countercontrol, exploring how children with conduct disorders or oppositional defiant disorders may engage in countercontrol against teachers.
Results from research were surprising and counterintuitive (Carey & Bourbon, 2005).

Completed PhD training in statistics and research methods akin to other psychologists.
Greatest discovery was the scientist-practitioner model; a convergence of practice and research.
Psychological science is accessible to anyone with curiosity and understanding of psychological principles.
Acknowledged that psychological science was imperfect but emphasized the importance of adherence to sound processes followed by peer-review.

Worked in Scotland's National Health Service as a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, focusing on treatment structures.
Realized lack of rationale behind scheduling disciplines (e.g., why appointments are set for fortnightly rather than weekly).
Discovered there were no studies validating treatment session lengths or appointment frequencies, despite NICE's recommendation of 16 to 20 sessions for CBT (NICE, 2009, p. 28).
Noted discrepancies between recommended session durations and average attendance in routine practice (often less than 10 sessions, average ~5 sessions).
Explored the implications of this disconnect and errors in reasoning surrounding treatment lengths, which carry political significance in healthcare resource allocation.

Investigated what would happen if patients scheduled their own appointments rather than therapists dictating structure.
Established systems for patients to independently book appointments similar to GP practices, collected data on this initiative termed "patient-led appointment scheduling".
Results from evaluations yielded positive outcomes:
  - Decreased missed/cancelled appointments.
  - Increased service capacity (Carey, 2005; Carey & Mullan, 2007; Carey & Spratt, 2009; Carey, Tai, & Stiles, 2013).
  - Significant outcomes included doubling referrals and eliminating waiting lists (Carey & Spratt, 2009).
Despite results, the patient-led scheduling did not gain sufficient interest, showcasing the variable attention that psychological science results may receive.

Recognizes that psychological science can yield uncomfortable findings, or researchers may manipulate experiments to yield anticipated results.
Cites Bruce Alexander's (2010) work on Rat Park as an example of psychological science's potential:
- Challenges the perspective of addiction purely as a disease, suggesting social and psychological factors play significant roles.
- Criticism of methodology notwithstanding, Alexander’s idea is important for reframing understanding of addiction.

Psychological science is an evolving discourse about what is considered "right" based on best available evidence, but definitions of 'right' are relative and context-dependent.
Engaging in psychological science requires a tolerance for uncertainty, the ability to think critically, and to challenge entrenched views, including:
- The fallacy of fixed treatment session numbers for disorders.
- The bias towards randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the gold standard of research despite critiques from experts like Jadad and Enkin (2007).

Involvement with the APS and DPRET, fostering collaboration among psychological science experts and promoting psychological science initiatives across various contexts.
Highlights efforts such as the Australian Brain Alliance aimed at furthering research with government support.
The Million Minds Mission as a notable federal initiative elevating psychological science’s role in societal challenges.
DPRET's ongoing tasks include strengthening the recognition of psychology in national policy discussions.