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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 July 2009
The 1955–56 Annual Report of the Department of Research Psychology at the New York State Psychiatric Institute begins by noting that –Dr. Joseph Zubin, who had been Associate Research Scientist in this department since September, 1938, resigned January 15th, 1956 to become Principal Research Biometrician, heading a new Department [now Unit] of Biometrics Research…” While this move soon proved to be a stimulus for the development of significant new avenues of research, it by no means marked a sharp break with previous work. As Zubin has often noted, the late Carney Landis, when he was head of the Department of Research Psychology, actively fostered a variety of biometric studies, and indeed the annual reports of that department had eventually come to contain a separate section devoted to biometrics, in which the work of Zubin and his colleagues figured prominently. Much of this work would serve as the foundation of the new unit's research programme. In particular, an extensive study of prognosis in early and chronic schizophrenia had already been in progress for several years. In addition to interviews, a battery of tests was employed to sample a range of levels in the patients' functioning: psychophysical, psychophysiological, psychomotor, perceptual, behavioural, and conceptual.
Note added in press: As from1 April 1975, the status of the Biometrics Research Unit has been changed to that of a member of a consortium of units headed by the New York State Psychiatric Institute. At the moment, the internal structure of Biometrics is still as described in this Report; it remains to be seen whether the new status will result in any significant change in the nature of Biometrics Research.
Preparation of this report was supported in part by Grant No. MH 22890–02 from the National Institute of Mental Health.