Question for the Paul Meehl Fans

[BuckeyeLove]

So I know we've got some Meehl afficianodos on this board. I'm contemplating getting the Paul Meehl Reader that was put together in 06'. Anyone familiar with this text, and if so...thoughts?

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[WisNeuro]

Depends. I think you can get a lot of it if you have access to various journals and whatnot through your institution. I'm a big fan of his diagnosis and clinical prediction literature, which I mostly have copies of already. Not too mention my favorite piece "Why I Do Not Attend Case Conferences" is readily available in pdf.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~pemeehl/099CaseConferences.pdf

I say save the money and space and just get the pdf's of the things you want.

 

[erg923]

Yum....uncle george's pancakes!

 

[MCParent]

Depends. I think you can get a lot of it if you have access to various journals and whatnot through your institution. I'm a big fan of his diagnosis and clinical prediction literature, which I mostly have copies of already. Not too mention my favorite piece "Why I Do Not Attend Case Conferences" is readily available in pdf.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~pemeehl/099CaseConferences.pdf

I say save the money and space and just get the pdf's of the things you want.

God I love that article.

"It seems that there are many professionals for whom committee work and conferences represent part of their social, intellectual, and erotic life." hee hee.

I agree though; almost (perhaps all) of the book can be had for free with university library access, certainly so if you have document request systems.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

Thanks all. Was able to get most through library access.

 

[psych84]

Tried reading that. Got a lot of it, but since I'm just an undergrad student, quite a bit of it went over my head.

 

[erg923]

Tried reading that. Got a lot of it, but since I'm just an undergrad student, quite a bit of it went over my head.

P. Meehl was a powefull intellect. We would all be lying if we said we were able to understand all his musings.

 

[WisNeuro]

I think his taxonomy writings are probably his most dense. Those definitely take several read throughs.

 

[Rivi]

I only began reading Paul Meehl in the last few years. I really like his article (speaking of dense): Schizotaxia, schizotypy, schizophrenia.
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1963-07077-001

I have also enjoyed browsing his works on this site as well:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~pemeehl/

 

[cara susanna]

I have to be honest. I am an advanced graduate student (right now on predoctoral internship), have read "Why I Do Not Attend Case Conferences" several times, and I still don't really understand it.

 

[dale.gribble]

I have to be honest. I am an advanced graduate student (right now on predoctoral internship), have read "Why I Do Not Attend Case Conferences" several times, and I still don't really understand it.

How so?

I'm not asking rhetorically by any means--I'm interested as to whether there are differences dependent upon geography (yes, I know, we're both in the Midwest--even more specifically than that) or something that make "Why I Do Not Attend Case Conferences" particularly cathartic to me, as someone who was trained and works in the Midwest, and baffling to others. Though Meehl was well before my time at UMN, the points he makes in the first portion of the article still smack of SO. FREAKING. MANY experiences I've had thus far (not just--or particularly, even--at UMN, but the Midwest in general) in my (admittedly still-infant) career. I still wish I could travel back in time and lock some of my cohort members into a room with the article until they could recite and summarize each one of the points. So, I suppose I'm not just interested as to whether there are geographical differences--I'm convinced there are--and I believe the particular combinations of traits/behavioral and attitudinal orientations you see in the Midwest necessarily translate to a greater number of...well, comparatively poor/ineffective/perhaps harmful practitioners and researchers.

/rant

 

[cara susanna]

I just always forget what it says. I read it, have this reaction of "Heh," and then five minutes later I couldn't even summarize it for anyone.

 

[dale.gribble]

That makes sense; I must concede that my first reaction(s) upon opening it up are usually, "Christ, did no one teach you how to write succinctly?!" and then "Perhaps if you weren't choking on your own smugness you wouldn't be so long-winded." He just happens to hit so many points that are so salient to me that ultimately I forgive the excessive self-centered ness.

 

[MCParent]

That makes sense; I must concede that my first reaction(s) upon opening it up are usually, "Christ, did no one teach you how to write succinctly?!" and then "Perhaps if you weren't choking on your own smugness you wouldn't be so long-winded." He just happens to hit so many points that are so salient to me that ultimately I forgive the excessive self-centered ness.

Meehl was known for being exceptionally kind and caring toward others.

That writing style is far out of style now, probably because so few people can pull it off, but it is more common in older writing.

 

[smalltownpsych]

My difficulty after the first read were that he made so many brilliant points that it overwhelmed my capacity to process new information. I think I need to reread and then make a bullet point outline for myself.
Oh and by the way, thanks for the introduction to an obviously brilliant thinker. I now might have some more ammo for those tedious and tiresome "case conferences".