EVOLVEMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY FIELD IN VMU: PEOPLE AND WORKS

Transcription

1 Editorial note EVOLVEMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY FIELD IN VMU: PEOPLE AND WORKS Aistė Pranckevičienė, Laura Šeibokaitė It is not uncommon to dedicate an issue of the journal on a specific topic related to scientific problems or theoretical trends. People, however, who develop theoretical conceptions or models, remain in a shadow; with their names only appearing in small print under the title of a given publication. In this sense the current volume of International Journal of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach is unique in that we will focus on the personalities and contributions of four scientists at VMU who have celebrated their 70 th birthdays. These individuals are prof. habil. dr. Antanas Goštautas, assoc. prof. dr. Bronislava Grigaitė, prof. Roy M. Kern, and assoc. prof. dr. Vaclovas Martišius. Our intent is to acknowledge their unique contributions related to the psychological science in Lithuania and internationally. This issue is dedicated to these individuals and will include short biographical resumes, lists of publications, articles illustrating their scientific interests and mentoring activities related to former and present doctoral students. Professor, habilitated doctor Antanas Goštautas. The childhood and school years of professor Antanas Goštautas began in Joniškis, Lithuania. His graduate studies included years of study at the universities of Vilnius and Leningrad (currently St. Petersburg). He gained degrees in psychology and psychiatry. His doctoral dissertation Application of Clinical-Psychological Personality Methods for Diagnostic Solution of Paranoid Schizophrenia was defended in the field of biomedicine in Professor Goštautas has worked in Kaunas for over 30 years as the head of Medical Psychology and Sociology Research Laboratory in Kaunas Medical Institute (currently Kaunas Medical University). During this period he was involved in a variety of important international research 15

2 Redaktorių žodis - Editorial note projects (KRIS, Multifactorial Myocardial Infarction and Stroke Prevention Programme, MONICA-PSYCHOSOCIAL). His scientific focus included the role of psychological and social factors and heart disease. In particular his work addressed the effectiveness of psychological intervention methods on health promotion and disease prevention. This knowledge was significant and innovative not only in Lithuania, but has its unique place all over the world. While serving as the head of laboratory, he with others was responsible for the standardization and adaptation of various psycho diagnostic methods (MMPI, Cattell s 16 factors personality inventory, Eysenck s personality inventory, WAIS, WISC etc.). The comprehensive review of these findings is published in the professor s habilitation work Fundamentals of Psychological Prevention of Ischemic Heart Disease in Other significant areas of interests of professor Goštautas include research in the areas of substance use and prevention. Research in this area started in 1981 and has continued with collaborative efforts with the World Health Organization. To date he has reported his works in over 300 scientifically directed publications. Professor Goštautas moved from the medical setting to become a member of the department of psychology at VMU in In his new setting he has served as a scientific advisor and mentor to a number of highly respected doctoral students (R. Daknys, M. Rugevičius, R. V. Mikelskas, A. Palujanskienė, L. Šinkariova, A. Perminas, L. Gustainienė, I. Pilkauskienė, etc.) who have since become well know professionals in Lithuania. In addition, he has served as head of the department for 1998 to 2006, created a masters degree program in health psychology, and is an active member of Lithuanian Scientists Society, Research Council of Lithuania, Lithuanian Society of Sociologists, International Organization European Medical Association on Smoking and Health (EMASH), European Health Psychologist Society (EHPS), a member of the editorial board of several academic journals, including the International Journal of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach, the founder of the Union of Lithuanian Health Psychologists. A publication in the present journal by dr. A. Pranckevičienė and assoc. prof. dr. L. Gustainienė who were mentored by the professor provides additional information on the illustrious career of professor Goštautas. 16

3 International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2010, 5, p. Associated professor, doctor Bronislava Grigaitė. Bronislava Grigaitė graduated from secondary school in Šėta, Kėdainiai district. She continued her education with a focus on preschool children at the Šiauliai Pedagogical Institute. Her advanced degree work was acquired in the department of Psychology at the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute. Her dissertation Impact of Written Language Teaching for Conceptual Thinking of 6-9 Year Children was defended at the Kiev Psychology Research Institute in From dr. Grigaitė held a position of associated professor in Psychology Department, VMU. She is a member of Lithuanian Psychologists Association and The International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD). The focus of Grigaitė s research interests include the development of written language and its impact on the child s cognitive development, cognitive development in childhood, and the child s maturation process related to the school setting. Much of her experience and works are published in books, methodological materials, educational programs, and reports and recommendations to educational policy makers in Lithuania. Some of her major findings evolved from longitudinal studies ( and ) in the field of written language teaching during the preschool period and its relationship to the child s conceptual thinking. Dr. Grigaitė s works revealed that early written language teaching impacts 5-10 years children s thinking development and enhances cognitive recourses. Her works and applications of her work have been reported in The Effect of Early Written Language Teaching on Children Conceptual Thinking Development (1981) and I Can Write (2002). Associated professor Grigaitė has co-authored a book titled Maturation for School of Lithuanian Children: Research and Problems and Research Tasks for Cognitive Development of Child in Research results related to this publication and others has been presented in many conferences and other scientific events in Lithuania, other countries of Europe, USA, and China. Associated professor Grigaitė was scientific adviser of two doctoral dissertations of assoc. prof. dr. S. Raižienė and assoc. prof. dr. A. Griciūtė. Currently she is the scientific adviser of J. Misiūnienė ir I. Norgelienė. The influence of Grigaitė efforts in the areas of cognitive development and maturation of children are reflected in this issue by articles by A. Banaitienė, S. Raižienė & B. Grigaitė and J. Misiūnienė & B. Grigaitė. 17

4 Redaktorių žodis - Editorial note Professor Roy M. Kern. Professor Roy M. Kern received his degree in 1970 in Counseling and Educational Psychology from West Virginia University in United States. His dissertation was one of the first in the USA to explore the impact of same age peers in a group counseling setting with young children. For many years he served as a professor, researcher, and director of Ph.D. programs in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Georgia State University in Atlanta, during that time he devoted much of his career to researching the constructs of the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. From this theoretical model he was able to develop three psychometric instruments related to the assessment of personality from and Individual Psychology perspective, create a program within the department devoted to teaching the principles of Individual Psychology, teach in and international educational institute with exposure to his ideas related to the theory to participants from over 30 different countries, and acquire financial aid to develop a leadership team in the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) to teach the principles of Individual Psychology in the area of classroom management, consultation, and family therapy to teachers, psychologist, school psychologists, and social workers. From a scientific perspective professor Kern has created and extensive list of professional articles, publications and books related to the topics of Individual Psychology, consultation, and organizational behavior. To date he has published over 90 articles and scholarly papers, three personality instruments, and books on consultation, lifestyle personality assessment, couples therapy, and exam taking. His articles cover a range of participants from children, family and organizational behavior, leadership and personality, to the personality profiles of prisoners, substance abusers and murderers. Professor Kern in addition to these activities is presently the co-editor of The Journal of Individual Psychology, column editor of The Family Journal: International Association of Marriage & Family Counselors and serves on the editorial board of several other journals. From a clinical perspective he has been a licensed individual and family therapist and approved supervisor for a family therapy association. Since joining the faculty of the department of Theoretical Psychology in 2007, he has taken on the directorship of the Ph.D. program, become 18

5 International Journal of Psychology: a Biopsychosocial Approach Tarptautinis psichologijos žurnalas: biopsichosocialinis požiūris 2010, 5, p. the scientific advisor for three doctoral students, organized a specialty course in Individual Psychology for health, organization and school psychology students, involved in the norming of a personality instrument related to Individual Psychology on a Lithuanian sample, translation of a parent education program relating to parenting, and investigating work harassment in Lithuanian organizations. In this volume an article by his doctoral student Jolita Jonynienė is a sample of one of his efforts with doctoral students. Associated professor, doctor Vaclovas Martišius. Associated professor Vaclovas Martišius was born and grew up in the village of Rutkiškiai, Jurbarkas district where he completed his secondary education in Eržvilkas secondary school. He continued his advanced degree work in the Physics Department in Vilnius University and was graduated from Faculty of Psychology in Leningrad University in There he started first research in human perception. His doctoral dissertation Evaluation of Multiple Signals Perception by Using Subjective Measure was defended in Leningrad University in 1977 and was one of the first in this area of psychology. He began his academic career in Vilnius University and expanded his teaching to Vilnius Pedagogical University and the Academy of Physical Education. He joined the faculty of Psychology of VMU in Dr. Martišius has dedicated his academic and teaching career to the development of cognitive psychology. His main areas of interests address the significance of context to cognitive processes and psychological aspects of decision-making. He has to his credit 30 articles in this field. One of particular interest is titled Psychological Peculiarities of Decision-Making co-authored with assoc. prof. dr. A. Endriulaitienė published monograph Psychological Peculiarities of Decision-Making. As of this date he has been a mentor and scientific advisor of doctoral dissertations for Auksė Endriulaitienė and Visvaldas Legkauskas. In addition, he is a member of the scientific board of psychology and is co-author of two articles in this issue. The two articles are co-authored with former students. In the article titled Personal and Situational Factors as the Predictors of Risk-Taking Propensity in the Sample of Lithuanian Students, Endriulaitienė and Martišius assess the situational and personal factors, which account for risk-taking propensity and identify a complex link of situational and personal 19

6 Redaktorių žodis - Editorial note factors. The second article by Vaidelienė and Martišius focuses on young children and cognitive ability. We conclude with professor Justinas Pikūnas who celebrated his 90 th birthday and who was instrumental in the early development of our psychology programs during His sharing of his immense amount of knowledge on psychology and in particular monographs on stress and psychodiagnostics was of great value to a university and a department in its embryonic stages of development. We are also indebted to the professor for his mentoring of one of our valued professionals in our field, Loreta Zajančkauskaitė. We send our sincere congratulation to professor Justinas Pikūnas, as well as the four academicians we are honoring with this special issue. 20