A Necessary Reemphasis on Integrating Explicative Research with the Pragmatics of Pediatric Psychology

Pediatric psychology is an amalgamation of applied practice and basic research concerned with medical and psychological problems affecting children and families. Both the applied and basic aspects of pediatric psychology are necessary. However, some distortion of emphasis may be implied by the results of a recent analysis of articles in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (JPP). Roberts (1992) found that three quarters of the research articles focused on examinations of relationships among pediatric and psychological variables, as opposed to studies more directly targeted to applied or clinical concerns such as assessment, prevention, and intervention. The research articles that predominate in JPP attempt to clarify how various variables are associated to produce a more comprehensive view of the factors related to medical or psychological conditions. Studies with an explicative purpose, for example, have considered the relationship of coping responses of children with pediatric conditions (e.g., sickle cell disease, cancer and leukemia, diabetes, spina bifida) and their families' adjustment to having a child who has a chronic illness. Explicative or relationship research programs have enhanced knowledge and understanding. Nonetheless, the current editor of JPP found this domination of the research pages troubling and called for more submissions of intervention research (La Greca & Vami, 1993). Although much of the preponderant explicative research is theory driven