Adventure, Book, Change

By John Alosi

Joseph Smith, professor emeritus, psychology Example of Smith’s woodworking skill

After a career marked with innovative research, Joseph Smith, professor emeritus of psychology, is continuing the trend well into his retirement. Smith continued to break new ground in his field of psychology while also devoting more time to environmental activism since he retired in 1992.

In 2006 Smith published Love’s Mystery Solved, a study based on his observations including his work with individuals and families in psychotherapy. In the book, he critically analyzes and defines the nature of love and provides readers with a blueprint to building lasting relationships.

“I started out about seven years ago. I put down what I knew and then researched for two years to support what I already said. My primary reason for writing the book: I have three grandchildren growing up and they need to know what love is. The word love has been so misused it is meaningless.”

To quote from Love’s Mystery Solved: “A clear measure of whether another person loves you will not be found in their words no matter how eloquent. Rather it will be found in whether they are regularly perceived over time to demonstrate real and dependable on-going efforts to have a positive constructive meaningful impact on you.” (To learn more visit his website at www.lovesmysterysolved.com.)

This endeavor follows a well-established pattern in Smith’s career. In the 1970s, while at Ship, he devised a ground-breaking study after he realized the current studies on adolescent interests were limited by either a prescribed list or items pre-selected by the authors. His study obtained and measured spontaneous responses about adolescents’ personal on-going concerns and interests.

In 1980 he contrasted American and Colombian teenagers in a study he conducted in South America, mainly in the area of Medellin, Colombia. With a more “pure language” with less outside influences, Smith approached the teenagers without forms so “their attitudes had to be phrased in their own way.”

His daughter, Sandra, who was studying in Colombia, was his interpreter. And despite one frightening incident where the local militia investigated what they were doing, Smith found the students to be “very receptive. They love to be noticed.”

One item that is still noticed today is a conference table Smith made for the psychology department. “I framed it at 62 feet wide and 14 or 15 feet long. I transported it to Gilbert Hall on the top of my car. Hank Aberman, the department chair at the time, said, “Don’t be surprised it if gets marked up. When I left ten years later, it was still unmarked.”

Another ardent passion of Smith’s is the environment as he strives to educate people about the dangers of global warming. His concern is not new, dating back to the 1970s. “I felt back then that global warming would become a significant issue,” Smith said.

Smith designed his house with the environment in mind. He has a hydrokinetic heat unit engineered into it. It involves two wells and derives heat from water that comes from the ground. He monitors new technologies that are being perfected to power a home.

The Smiths have organized several climate warming conferences in the Harrisburg area. But he admits it is tough to get people to change. “The scientific evidence is clear, but people have their own paradigms. People rather believe what they already believe. When you talk about change and it changes people’s lives, they will run away from it.”

For now Smith is content to stay put as he continues to pursue his interests and works toward educating people about the environment.