MAH RESPONDS TO MEDIA: American Psychological Association Responds to MAH

AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION

June 24, 1999

Betty Walter, Executive Director
Mothers at Home
8310A Old Courthouse Road
Vienna, Virginia 22182

Dear Ms. Walter:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding an APA press release which summarized the study,
"Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Early Parental Employment on Children of the
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth," by Elizabeth Harvey, PhD.

The press release on this study, as any press release is, was designed to interest the news
media in reporting on the study's finding.  It summarizes the study and its findings but is
limited by its format. No press release includes the depth that a news story should. It is
the role of the news reporter to use the press release as a starting point but then also read
the full study and talk to the study's authors to gain a more complete understanding of the
findings, as well as the limits of the research.

The APA Public Affairs Office worked closely with Dr. Harvey in writing its press
release and got her approval on its content. The issue you raise about the ability to
generalize Dr. Harvey's results across the entire U.S. population is an important one.  In
fact, Dr. Harvey conducted analyses to test if her results varied depending on the race and
income level of subject. She found they did not.

Regarding your concern that APA summarizes research with an eye to a "political
agenda". APA has no political agenda. Our purpose is to support and further
psychological science and psychological health interventions. The sole purpose of our
media relations effort is to inform the public of new findings from psychological research
as the study's author's best interprets those findings.

Sincerely,

(signed)

Rhea K. Farberman, APR
Director, Public Communications

750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC   200002-4242
(202) 336-5500
(202) 336-6123 TDD

Web www.apa.org