EPISTEMIC ASSUMPTIONS: UNDERSTANDING SELF AND THE WORLD (A NOTE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IDENTITY STYLE,WORLD VIEW,AND CONSTRUCTIVIST ASSUMPTIONS USING AN AUSTRALIAN SAMPLE)

Berzonsky (1994) has investigated the role that personal epistemological assumptions play in the construction and revision of self-identity.He developed the Constructivist Assumption Scale (CAS) to measure the constructivist assumptions of persons, relating this to identity style as measured by the Identity Style Inventory, 3rd edition. Botella and Gallifa (1995) have outlined a constructivist model of epistemic development moving from positivism to constructivism (measured by the CAS), and preferred worldviews moving from mechanism to organicism (measured by the Organicism-Mechanism Paradigm Inventory). This study investigated the relationship between identity style, preferred worldview, and level of constructivist assumptions. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between the constructivist assumptions and people having an information-oriented, self-identity style, and significant negative relationships between the constructivist assumptions and preferred worldview for individuals with a normative oriented identity style. Age was significantly related to worldview, but not to the constructivist assumptions of the individuals. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed, including whether people have different epistemic assumptions when describing self versus those used when describing the world. An additional measure is suggested which may relate findings to Kelly's (1991) notions of aggressiveness and hostility.     

First- and Second-Order Change: Implications for Rationalist and Constructivist Cognitive Therapies

Inquiry into the nature and process of change is fundamental to the domains of counseling and psychotherapy. Particularly relevant to counselors is an understanding of the distinction between first- and second-order change. This article clarifies the distinction and suggests a relationship between these two types of change and Mahoney's (1988) recent metatheoretical contrast between rationalist and constructivist approaches to counseling. Specifically, it is proposed that rationalist approaches are guided by first-order assumptions about change whereas constructivist approaches are based on second-order principles and processes. Within this context, a number of implications for the counseling practitioner are discussed.     

Career counseling: applying the systems theory framework of career development

In recent years, career development and career counseling have increasingly been informed by concepts emanating from the constructivist worldview. For example, the Systems Theory Framework (STF; M. McMahon, 2002; M. McMahon & W. Patton, 1995; W. Patton & M. McMahon, 1997, 1999) of career development has been proposed as a metatheoretical account of career development. Furthermore, its theoretical constructs may be applied to career counseling. Thus, the STF provides a theoretical and practical consistency to career counseling and addresses concerns about a gulf between career theory and practice. This article discusses the practical application of the STF of career development as a guide to career counseling.     

Treatment preference and acceptability: Epistemology and locus of control

Abstract

Treatment preference and acceptability were investigated in 397 female university students. Three audiovisual vignettes depicting a client and therapist discussing a body image disturbance problem were presented to subjects. Predictions were that subjects would prefer one of three therapy approaches—behavioral, cognitive—rational, or cognitive—constructivist—as a function of personal epistemology and locus of control. Overall, subjects rated the constructivist therapy approach more favorably than either the cognitive—rational or behavioral approach. Similarly, subjects evaluated the constructivist therapist more positively than either the rational or behavioral therapist. After degree of subject identification with the target problem was controlled, results indicated that matching subjects who had an external locus of control orientation to a behavioral or cognitive-rational therapist resulted in more favorable assessments of that therapist. Matching subjects who had an internal locus of control orientation to a constructivist therapist resulted in more positive assessments of that therapist. Implications for matching in clinical practice are discussed.     

Effects of Worldview and Mortality Salience in Persuasion Processes

Individual differences in media effects research have yielded a trove of insights into how media content can have varying effects. One such variable is worldview—a philosophy of life that enables a person to make sense of one's experience—but the notion has largely been unexamined in media effects research. A person's worldview can moderate the way a persuasive message is processed—sometimes in the opposite direction of that intended by communicators. Building on the construct of worldview and terror management theory, two experiments (N = 149 and N = 151) examined the question with worldview as a measured variable and mortality salience as a two-level factor. Worldview had a main effect on global evaluations of ads, as participants who tended toward a relativist worldview had lower evaluations of the ads and lower behavioral intentions, while participants who tended toward a positivist worldview had higher evaluations of the ads and higher behavioral intentions. Also, mortality salience was found to moderate participants' worldview, presumably making their worldview more accessible to exert a greater influence. The importance of worldview as a construct in media effects research, as well as theoretical implications for persuasion and terror management theory, are discussed.     

The Role of Epistemic Style in Counseling Preference and Orientation

Recent work has suggested that philosophical commitments play a part in directing preferences for different types of counseling, and in this article the authors extend that work with a series of four studies. Study 1 provides partial support for the relationship between epistemic commitments (rational, empirical, or metaphorical) and preferences for particular types of counseling (behavioral, rational emotive, constructivist). Studies 2 and 3 extend these findings by noting differences in how individuals gather, process, and respond to self-relevant feedback as a result of epistemic style. Finally, Study 4 provides tentative support for the possibility that counselor trainees gravitate toward preferring counseling theories that are consistent with their own epistemic orientations. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.     

Multicultural Counseling and Qualitative Research: Shared Worldview and Skills

In this article, similarities are identified between multicultural counseling competencies and the basic assumptions and methodology of qualitative research. Having an understanding of one's own biases, assumptions, and worldviews possessing knowledge and understanding of the culturally different client's (participant's) worldview; and using appropriate strategies and skills are characteristics that are shared by multicultural counseling and qualitative research. These characteristics are addressed under aspects of qualitative research, namely, selection of the research question; researcher as instrument; relationship between researcher and participants; and data collection, analysis, and validity.     

A comparison of stress-reduction behavioral counseling and contingent nocturnal EMG feedback for the treatment of bruxism

This study compared the efficacy of two treatment modalities (stress-reduction behavioral counseling and contingent nocturnal EMG biofeedback) on night-time bruxism. The 16 subjects (Ss) were assigned sequentially to one of four treatment groups: (1) stress-reduction behavioral counseling: (2) nocturnal biofeedback; (3) stress-reduction behavioral counseling and nocturnal biofeedback; and (4) waiting-list control group. A portable EMG unit was used to record the nightly total of electrical activity (?20 μV) from the masseter muscle 10 days before and after treatment. The three treatment procedures were found to be significantly superior to no-treatment control group. The outcome of the two treatments which made use of stress-reduction behavioral counseling, although better than the treatment which solely used nocturnal biofeedback, was not significantly better. This study demonstrates that stress-reduction skills learned while awake can have a generalized effect on stress-induced muscle activity during sleep. Implications for further research are discussed.     

The Worldview Dimensions of Individualism and Collectivism: Implications for Counseling

A recent article, “Rethinking Individualism and Collectivism: Evaluation of Theoretical Assumptions and Meta‐Analyses” (D. Oyserman, H. M. Coon, & M. Kemmelmeier, 2002), revealed that 170 studies have been conducted on the worldview dimensions of individualism and collectivism. The authors' analyses of the studies provided empirical support for the theoretical notion posited by numerous multicultural counseling scholars, which outlines the importance of understanding worldview for competent practice. This article reviews the results of the authors' analyses and discusses the implications for counseling.     

Modéliser l’évaluation des processus de changement en counseling d’orientation : une perspective constructiviste et intégrative

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to design models that are used to assess the effects of career counseling. The article is part of the constructivist perspective in the emerging new paradigm of counseling psychology in the 21st century. Dialogue is seen as the strategic point in the change process of intervention practices. Through an analytical synthesis of different theoretical and empirical work on dialogue and an exploratory study of its reflexive dimension, the article points out the contribution of constructivist approaches while suggesting a constructionist and integrative perspective. It thus opens a discussion on the relevance of an interdisciplinary approach for dialogic and reflexive phenomena involved in the self-transformation process.     

Counselor Roles According to Two Counseling Worldviews

This article defines the traditional psychological worldview and the emergent systemic worldview in counseling theory. The two counseling worldviews are described as presenting distinct roles for professional counselors with respect to assessment, remediation, and case management.     

The Legacy of Lawrence Kohlberg: Implications for Counseling and Human Development

Despite the great contribution by Lawrence Kohlberg to our understanding of moral development, counselors are only beginning to appreciate fully the implications of his developmental psychology for the practice of counseling and human development. Drawing on the collective body of Kohlberg's work, seven basic assumptions are shown to have direct relevance for conceptualizing counseling from a constructivist developmental approach.     

A Client-Centered Model of Instructional Design for Psychoeducation Interventions in Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists often use psychoeducational interventions in mental health settings. Recent systematic reviews have validated the efficacy of this approach, but the occupational therapy literature on the instructional design process is scarce. In this article the author reviews factors relevant to the instructional design of psychoeducation and then proposes a client-centered instructional design model that considers the client's capacity for engagement, the instructional context/environment, and the learning content demands in the selection of appropriate instructional approaches. The design process is illustrated in four vignettes using behavioral, acquisitional, cognitive, and constructivist approaches.     

A Historical and Theoretical Review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies: From Structural Self-Knowledge to Functional Processes

This paper critically examines the historical conceptualization of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy approaches (CBT) as a direct clinical counterpart of the cognitive revolution. The main “second wave” cognitive psychotherapies, either standard cognitive therapy (CT) or constructivist, in spite of their differences, share a common conceptualization of psychopathological factors as superordinate structural cognitive content belonging to the self: self-beliefs, self-schemata, personality organizations and so on. On the other hand, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is an exception given that in REBT self-knowledge is not the core psychopathological tenet, being rather a derivate mechanism. Moreover, in non clinical cognitive science cognition is conceived as a regulatory function that operates retroactively and not in a hierarchically super- ordered fashion centered on the self. A historical review suggests that in both CT and constructivist model the structuralistic model of self-centered cognition may have emerged for both cultural and scientific reasons: self-centered cognitive models may be more readily understandable to clinicians as they allow for a straightforward identification of operationalizable self-beliefs. The emergence of new “third wave” process-centered CBT approaches may represent a comeback to functionalism, where cognition is considered again a regulatory function and not a structure. In addition, REBT’s interest in dysfunctional evaluations not focused on the self presaged this clinical and scientific turning point toward functionalism.     

Strengthening Career Human Agency

Rooted in A. Bandura's (1982, 2001b) social cognitive theory, the notion of human agency has received considerable attention in vocational and career psychology for the last 2 decades, especially with the recent emergence of social constructivist thinking in the field. This article continues in the same direction. In reviewing the notion of human agency in the broad life‐career context, the article illustrates and highlights the constructivist philosophy of human intention and action that constitutes the conceptual foundation of career human agency. Implications for career counseling are discussed with suggestions for using and enhancing agentic functioning in individuals' life‐career development.     

Multicultural Counseling and Intrapersonal Value Conflict: A Case Study

The internal conflict between professional and personal values that counselors can experience when working with clients whose culture and values are different from their own is discussed. This is not a conflict between the counselor and the client, but is a conflict experienced within the counselor who is attempting to help resolve problems within the client's frame of reference, or worldview. A case study is presented that illustrates the senior author's experience in coping with a specific value conflict. It is suggested that as counselors become more proficient in multicultural counseling and more able to promote decision making from another's point of view, feelings of internal conflicts will decrease. Means of decreasing the likelihood of value conflicts are offered.     

On the Relation Between Philosophical Worldviews and Theories of Counseling and Development: A Comment

An alternate understanding of the role of organicism (Pepper, 1942) in contemporary developmental and constructivist thought is offered in reaction to Steenbarger's (1991) recent analysis of contextualist themes in counseling and development.     

Toward a Constructivist and Developmental Identity for the Counseling Profession: The Context-Phase-Stage-Style Model

The constructivist and developmental metatheories offer foundations for prevention- and health-oriented counseling approaches that target the whole population. In the assessment model proposed here, the counselor is directed toward 4 specific dimensions of human construction and development. They are the following: social context, life phase, constructive stage, and personality style. It is proposed that such assessment be infused into everyday counseling practice in schools, mental health settings, and colleges while also being a ground for the counselor education curriculum.     

Best Practices for Counseling Clients Experiencing Poverty: A Grounded Theory

Poverty is a pressing sociopolitical issue in the United States and worldwide. Poverty experiences have a significant effect on one’s mental health and overall wellness. Therefore, the ability to effectively serve clients experiencing poverty is critically important to professional counselors. However, there are no empirical models for counseling clients experiencing poverty. The authors present the results of a constructivist grounded theory study in which 21 professional counselors who work with clients experiencing poverty were interviewed to identify best practices for working with this population. Five major best practices are identified: (a) awareness, (b) training, (c) knowledge, (d) skills, and (e) advocacy. Implications for professional counseling are included.     

Contribution of Cultural Worldview to Generic Counseling and Development

A brief review of the major advances in multicultural counseling and psychotherapy literature and research is presented. A major emphasis is on the construct of “worldview” and on how knowledge and understanding of client worldview leads to more effective, ethical, sensitive, and client-specific counseling and development activities and interventions. This article reviews research and theory to support use of the worldview construct as a mediating variable in counseling and development interventions. This information can help the process of engaging clients, training effective and sensitive counselors, understanding organizational culture, and understanding the impact of gender on worldviews of men and women. Current research on the construct of worldview and its applications in counselor training, in counseling interventions, and in industrial-organizational settings is presented. Se presenta un repaso de los mayores avances en consejería multicultural y de la literatura e investigación en psicoterapia. Se pone un gran émfasis en la construcción de una visión universal y en como el conocimiento y entendimiento de la visión universal del cliente redunda en intervenciones mas efectivas, éticas, y sensibles. El trabajo revisa investigaciones y teorías para apoyar el uso del constructo de la visión universal coma un variable intermedia entre la consejería y las intervenciones de desarollo. Esta información puede ayudar al proceso de vinculación del cliente, entrenamiento de consejeros efectivos y sensitivos, comprensión de la cultura organizacional, y las diferentes maneras de concebir la visión universal por hombres y mujeres. Se presentan las investigaciones corrientes sobre la construcción de la visión universal y sus aplicaciones en el entrenamiento de consejeros, en intervenciones de consejería, y en ambientes industriales/organizacionales.