Alan E. Kazdin

Alan E. Kadzin
Born	January 24, 1945 (1945-01-24)
Residence	New Haven, Connecticut
Fields	Psychology
Institutions	Yale University
Alma mater	San Jose State University, Northwestern University

Alan Edward Kazdin (born January 24, 1945) is the John M. Musser Professor of Psychology and Child Psychiatry at Yale University and director of the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic. Kazdin's research has focused primarily on the treatment of aggressive and antisocial behavior in children.

Biography

Education

Kazdin graduated from San Jose State University in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University in 1970. Before coming to Yale, he was on the faculty of Pennsylvania State University (1971-1980) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (1981-1989). In 1989 he was appointed to Yale University’s Department of Psychology. At Yale, he has been Chairman of the Psychology Department, Director of the Yale Child Study Center at the Yale University School of Medicine, and Director of Child Psychiatric Services at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Currently, he serves as the director of the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic, a clinic that serves families struggling with child behavior problems or with the normal challenges of parenting and child rearing.

Research Interests

Clinical Dysfunction and Treatment

His research group focuses on questions related to diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of childhood disorders, specifically Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. Working with children referred for treatment for oppositional, aggressive and antisocial behavior, Kazdin developed a number of evidence-based treatments (Parent Management Training and Cognitive Problem-Solving Skills Treatment) that the clinic now provides.

Child Rearing and Parenting

Kazdin, through the Yale Parenting Center, is also interested in understanding and aiding parents with the everyday challenges of child rearing, using interventions developed in the context of clinical work. One particular place where these two interests intersect is understanding bullying, their victims and the contexts in which bullying occurs.

Psychosocial Interventions and the Burden of Mental Illness

According to Kazdin, “Most individuals (~70%) in the United States in need of psychological services because of social, emotional, behavior and psychiatric problems do not receive treatment. The model of providing individual therapy for those who want to come to treatment sessions is not working well and simply cannot reach those in need. The future of psychology and health care more generally hopefully will address such issues in ways that make a difference.” Kazdin is interested in developing, expanding and evaluating novel models of delivery that are able to reach individuals in need.

Translating Psychological Science to Aid Everyday Life

Kazdin works regularly with the media as a resource to disseminate findings that can be useful for children, parents, and families. “This is not an area of investigation for us but rather an effort to translate and disseminate the accomplishments of psychological science more generally.”

Dr. Kazdin’s work focuses primarily on child and adolescent disorders, behavior therapy, and clinical methodology, with over 700 articles and over 40 books and chapters published in these areas. See Publications for more details.

Honors and Awards

Kazdin has received a number of awards for his research and clinical work, including the following:

• Outstanding Research Contribution by an Individual (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies)
• Rivendell Foundation Award for Contributions to the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents
• Awards for Distinguished Scientific Contribution to Clinical Psychology, for Contribution to Clinical Child Psychology, and a Distinguished Scientist Award (Division 12, APA)
• Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology Award (Connecticut Psychological Association)
• Distinguished Service Award to the Profession of Psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology)
• Joseph Zubin Award for Lifetime Contributions to the Understanding of Psychopathology (Society for Research in Psychopathology)
• Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology and Distinguished Scientific Award for the Application of Psychology (APA)
• Award for Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media (Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis)
• James McKeen Cattell Award (Association for Psychological Science)
• The Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award to Honor Inspirational Higher Education Faculty Members, and the Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology (American Psychological Association)

In 2008, he was named President of the American Psychological Association.

Publications

Kazdin’s approximately 700 publications include 48 books that focus on interventions for children and adolescents, cognitive-behavioral treatment, parenting and child rearing, interpersonal violence, and methodology and research design. His work on parenting and child rearing has been featured on CNN, NPR, PBS, BBC, and he has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC News, 20/20, The Dr. Phil Show, and the Today Show.

In addition to his own published work, Kazdin has had several editing opportunities. He has been editor of 6 journals: Behavior Therapy (1979-1983), Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1985-1990), Psychological Assessment (1989-1991), Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice (1994-1998), Current Directions in Psychological Science (1999-2004), and Clinical Psychological Science (2012- ). He was editor-in-chief of the 8-volume Encyclopedia of Psychology (2000, APA/Oxford University). Also, he has edited two book series: Developmental Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry (Sage Publications, 1983-1999) and Current Perspectives in Psychology (Yale University Press, 2000-2008) and co-edited a book series Advances in Clinical Child Psychology (with Benjamin Lahey, 1977-1992).

Selected Publications

• Kazdin, A.E. (2011). Conceptualizing the challenge of reducing interpersonal violence.Psychology of Violence, 1, 166-187.

• Kazdin, A.E. (2011). Single-case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings(2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

• Kazdin, A.E. (2011). Evidence-based treatment research: Advances, limitations, and next steps. American Psychologist, 66, 685-698.

• Kazdin, A.E., & Blase, S.L. (2011). Rebooting psychotherapy research and practice to reduce the burden of mental illness. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 61, 21-37.

• White, J.W., Koss, M.P., & Kazdin, A.E. (Eds.) (2011). Violence against women and children: Volume I: Mapping the terrain; Volume II: Navigating solutions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

• Kazdin, A.E. (2005). Parent management training: Treatment for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. New York: Oxford University Press.

• Kazdin, A.E., Marciano, P.L., & Whitley, M. (2005). The therapeutic alliance in cognitive-behavioral treatment of children referred for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 726-730.

• Kazdin, A.E. (2006). Arbitrary metrics: Implications for identifying evidence-based treatments. American Psychologist, 61, 42-49.

• De Los Reyes, A., & Kazdin, A.E. (2006). Conceptualizing changes in behavior in intervention research: The Range of Possible Changes Model. Psychological Review, 113, 554-583.

• Kazdin, A.E., & Whitley, M.K. (2006). Comorbidity, case complexity, and effects of evidence-based treatment for children referred for disruptive behavior. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 455-467.