Effects of Second Language Usage on Genetic Counseling Training and Supervision

We conducted an exploratory study of the experiences of genetic counselors who have either trained or supervised in a second language to assess the relevance of this issue to genetic counseling training and supervision. Two hundred-thirty NSGC members, CAGC members and genetic counseling students completed the online questionnaire. Many of the respondents reported that training and supervision differed when another language was involved. Supervisors reported difficulty in assessing students’ counseling skills and discomfort with an incomplete understanding of session content. Students described a greater focus on vocabulary at the expense of psychosocial dimensions. Despite this, most felt that using another language enhanced their training experience. As such, training programs might consider increasing support to these learners and supervisors by explicitly acknowledging the challenges they face, providing students with language tools to aid in their acquisition of basic skills and providing supervisors with new methods for assessing student counseling skills when using other languages.     

Positive and problematic dissertation experiences: The faculty perspective

We interviewed 14 clinical and counseling psychology faculty regarding their experiences chairing positive and problematic dissertations. Data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research (CQR). Participants reported that advisors’ roles involved guiding/facilitating dissertations and helping students shape research ideas; students’ roles included taking responsibility, working independently, and maintaining good relationships with the chair/committee. With positive dissertation experiences, chairs and students collaborated before the dissertation, worked together well during the dissertation, and students began the dissertation feeling competent and motivated; such dissertations positively affected participants. Problematic dissertation experiences evinced difficult relationships between chair and student, and students’ low research capability; such dissertations negatively affected participants.     

The impact of supervisors' cognitive styles on the quality of research supervision in management education

Background: An aspect of teaching and learning that has been seriously overlooked in higher education is the process of research supervision. High failure rates for research dissertations in the social sciences have been partly attributed to student dissatisfaction with supervision and poor student‐supervisor relationships. One personality variable that has been shown to be partly responsible for shaping the effectiveness of supervisory relationships is cognitive style. Aims: The study examined the effects of supervisor cognitive style on the quality of supervision for students undertaking a research project in the field of management education. Sample: Both parties in each of 118 supervisor‐student dyads within a university business school in the UK participated in the study. Method: Data were collected using the Cognitive Style Index to measure subjects on the analytic‐intuitive dimension of cognitive style. A self‐developed Thurstone attitude scale was used to measure students' perceptions of the quality of supervision. The scale's validity was assured by making extensive use of subjects' (N = 100) judgments from the population of interest in the scale's development. A second parallel scale was developed to test the instrument's reliability characteristics. Results: Findings revealed that students perceived the quality of supervision to increase significantly with the degree to which supervisors were analytic in their cognitive style. Students whose supervisors were more analytic also achieved significantly higher grades for their dissertations. Conclusions: Whilst there may be many factors influencing interpersonal relationships of this nature, this study demonstrated the potential relevance of cognitive style, which may prove to be a fertile area for further investigation.     

Applied Sport Psychology Supervision Experience: A Qualitative Analysis

We examined the supervision experience of graduate trainees in applied sport psychology. Semistructured interviews conducted with sport psychology trainees were analyzed through the use of consensual qualitative research methodology. Three domains emerged from the analysis: programmatic factors, supervision process, and supervision content. The results provide insights (e.g., desired supervisor qualities) into the aspects of supervision that trainees feel address their needs, as well as instances in which the supervision experience could be improved. The findings may have implications (e.g., areas of potential growth for sport psychology supervision) for future research directions on supervision in applied sport psychology and could offer potential areas of consideration for current supervisors.     

Supported Supervisors Are More Supportive,but Why? A Multilevel Study of Mechanisms and Outcomes

This study examines organizational support theory as it extends to supervisor support by (1) testing two explanations for the relationship between supervisors’ perceived organizational support and their supportive supervision and (2) examining perceived supervisor support in relation to subordinate performance and commitment. Multisource survey data from a correctional facility, with a matched sample of 51 supervisors and 283 subordinates, were collected. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used for analysis. Supervisors were more supportive when they felt supportive treatment was preferred by the organization and less supportive when they felt obligated to help the organization. Perceived supervisor support was associated with subordinate performance and commitment at the subordinate level (i.e., among employees reporting to the same supervisor) but not at the supervisor level (i.e., across supervisor-follower groups). Employees who feel supported by their supervisor perform better and are more committed to their employer. To encourage supervisor support, organizations should both model support to supervisors and communicate the expectation for supervisor support. Supervisors who feel obligated to reciprocate to a supportive organization may be less inclined to support their subordinates. This study examines the prevailing, yet untested, mechanism (felt obligation) used to explain the relationship between supervisor’s perceptions of organizational support and their supportive supervision, as well as an alternative explanation based on social information processing. The study provides a nuanced multilevel analysis of perceived supervisor support as related to subordinate outcomes and extends previous models by including subordinate withdrawal and commitment.     

“She was on my side,and grounded me when I needed it:” Research supervision in the field of therapy,based on counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ views on their engagement with research

Research‐supported practice is increasingly emphasised within counselling and psychotherapy at all stages of training. Guided by an interest in how to support therapists in their efforts to develop research knowledge during doctoral training, this paper focuses on research supervision. Research supervision is a surprisingly under‐researched area. Little is known to date about how supervisors “go about their supervision” (Bruce & Stoodley, 2013, p. 5), despite the fact that “high failure rates for research dissertations in the social sciences have been partly attributed to student dissatisfaction with supervision and poor student–supervisor relationships” (Armstrong, 2004, p. 134). Between 2016 and 2019, we explored accredited counsellors' and 'psychotherapists engagement with research during or after their doctoral training. This paper explores research supervision with these two previous studies serving as the backdrop (Bager‐Charleson et al., 2018; Bager‐Charleson et al., 2018b), together with a literature review into research supervision within social sciences and psychotherapy. Supervision is discussed as a crucial coping/support strategy to (a) link research with practice in therapy work, practically and epistemologically; (b) contain and make sense of the use of transformative learning; (c) balance “enculturation” with critical thinking and emancipation; and (d) support reflective and reflexive development. This paper discusses an adaptive research supervision model, akin to a “holding bond” (Stevens, 2016) which supports the student to reflexively position her/himself personally, intersubjectively, theoretically and socio‐culturally, whilst “negotiating the tension” (Lee, 2008) during a process of enculturation into the discipline, and also fostering critical thinking and emancipation to contribute to new knowledge.     

Do counselling supervisors want or need to have their supervision supervised? An exploratory study

In response to a survey of counselling supervisors, 70 practitioners provided information about their practice as supervisors of counsellors and supervisors of supervisors. Questions were asked about the practice of supervision for supervision and attitudes towards the BAC Code of Ethics and Practice for Supervisors requirement that supervisors have access to supervision for their supervisory work. All but six of the respondents claimed to have supervision for supervision. In response to questions about the helpfulness, general importance, ethical importance and desirability of supervision for supervision, for which a bipolar visual analogue scale was provided, mean scores were all above 70%, indicating that there was considerable satisfaction with supervision for supervision requirements. Factor analysis revealed only one factor including all four questions. Questions were asked about contracts with supervision supervisors. A total of 55.7% used the same supervisor for their clinical work and supervision. In response to a question about issues raised in supervision, four categories accounted for the majority of comments: boundaries, competence of supervisees, training and ethics.     

Detecting Duplication in Students’ Research Data: A Method and Illustration

Research integrity is core to the mission of higher education. In undergraduate student samples, self-reported rates of data fabrication have been troublingly high. Despite this, no research has investigated undergraduate data fabrication in a more systematic manner. We applied duplication screening techniques to 18 data sets submitted by psychology honors students for assessment. Although we did not identify any completely duplicated cases, there were numerous partial duplicates. Rather than indicating fabrication, however, these partial duplicates are likely a consequence of poor measure selection, insufficient data screening, and/or participant characteristics. Implications for the teaching and supervision of honors students are discussed.     

Graduate education in qualitative methods in U.S. psychology: current trends and recommendations for the future

The visibility of qualitative research methods (QRM) in U.S. psychology has increased with the dissemination of qualitative research in journals and books, formation of professional and scientific organizations, and recognition in educational institutions. While gains have been made, the current state of doctoral training in qualitative methods remains uncertain. It is unclear what training graduate students receive in U.S. psychology programs about qualitative methodologies and how further gains can be made in expanding visibility of QRM in graduate education. In this mixed-methods study, we surveyed a sample of faculty in U.S. psychology graduate programs about the frequency of QRM course offerings, graduate training, and students’ use of QRM in their dissertation research. We also explored qualitative responses from faculty regarding their attitudes about QRM and how these attitudes might help increase or diminish the frequency of methods training available to students. We found that even within graduate programs where there was support for QRM, enduring perceptions about the value of qualitative research limit faculty and graduate students’ use of qualitative methodologies in their research. With these findings in mind, we offer several recommendations for increasing the visibility of QRM in U.S. graduate education and the discipline of psychology as a whole.     

Qualitative research in psychology: Attitudes of psychology students and academic staff

Qualitative research is experiencing a resurgence within the field of psychology. This study aimed to explore the range of attitudes towards qualitative research in psychology held by students and academics, using the model of attitudes by Eagly and Chaiken as a framework. Twenty‐one psychology students and academics were interviewed about their attitudes towards qualitative research. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. While qualitative research was described as inherent to the psychology profession and useful for generating rich data, some participants felt that this approach was not well respected or considered as legitimate as quantitative methods. Reflecting common misperceptions about qualitative research, participants also expressed concerns that qualitative research was too subjective and had limited generalisability. Furthermore, some participants felt that they lacked the skills and confidence necessary to conduct qualitative research. Large investments in time and resources were identified as barriers to undertaking qualitative research. Identifying attitudes towards qualitative research provides a basis for future work in dispelling myths, promoting attitudinal change and increasing both the use and teaching of qualitative approaches in psychology.     

Experiences of supervising postgraduate community psychology students at Wits university,South Africa

In this article, the authors discuss problems and challenges of supervising postgraduate community psychology students at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. As part of their community work, students developed community projects in schools in Alexandra Township, aimed at dealing with social ills such as HIV/AIDS, gangs, violence, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy. Students found community work to be extremely exhausting, stressful and demanding. Therefore, community psychology supervision became an important space in helping students to reflect on the experiences, anxieties and frustrations. This article discusses key themes that have emerged in community supervision, including gender, race and class issues. In conclusion, recommendations are provided on how to improve community psychology supervision based our experiences. Supervisors need to be proactive in helping students to reflect on their experiences and actively engage with some of the theoretical and practical issues that emerge in community work. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

INTERFACING INFANT MENTAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE: PERSPECTIVES OF SOUTH AFRICAN SUPERVISORS SUPPORTING LAY MOTHER–INFANT HOME VISITORS

This article is part of a project investigating the interfacing of clinically and research‐generated knowledge in the field of infant mental health (IMH) with local cultural models of child care and development. The article explores the experiences and challenges reported by psychology‐trained supervisors in supervision with local, lay, trained home visitors. Supervisors and supervisees were drawn from two early intervention programs which apply relational IMH mental health models in socioeconomically deprived townships in South Africa. Literature that considers supervisors’ experiences of conducting supervision with lay counselors has been limited, and even more so in settings where there are marked cultural and contextual differences between supervisors and supervisees. These differences pose particular challenges regarding the finding of a shared theoretical understanding of the work as well as to the establishment of a secure working alliance. While it was found that psychoanalytic and attachment‐informed theories of infant development are applicable in these South African settings, differences in race, language, education, socioeconomic status, and culture between supervisors and supervisees challenge the supervisor–supervisee relationship and require psychological processing and creative solutions to ensure integrity in the application of the model.     

督导重要事件对新手咨询师专业成长的影响

目的：了解个别督导过程中重要事件的类型、内涵及对新手咨询师专业成长的影响。方法：采用重要事件法,访谈4对受督者和督导师,并用共识性质性研究法分析。结果：有益重要事件包括督导关系、概念化、历程化、个人化4大类;督导促进了新手咨询师干预技巧能力、治疗计划目标等8个专业领域的成长。结论：督导对于新手咨询师专业成长非常重要。各类督导事件对于新手咨询师的促进作用并不均衡。     

督导重要事件对新手咨询师专业成长的影响

目的：了解个别督导过程中重要事件的类型、内涵及对新手咨询师专业成长的影响。方法：采用重要事件法，访谈4对受督者和督导师，并用共识性质性研究法分析。结果：有益重要事件包括督导关系、概念化、历程化、个人化4大类；督导促进了新手咨询师干预技巧能力、治疗计划目标等8个专业领域的成长。结论：督导对于新手咨询师专业成长非常重要。各类督导事件对于新手咨询师的促进作用并不均衡。     

Towards cultural competence: Australian Indigenous content in undergraduate psychology

This paper discusses the development and preliminary analysis of psychology undergraduate courses on cultural competence in relation to Indigenous Australians. The paper summarises the process that led to the formation of draft curriculum guidelines for psychology academics, including the need to critically examine the assumptions and history of Western psychology in relation to Indigenous peoples, the inclusion of non‐conventional teaching and learning methods, staff and institutional support, and appropriate staff development. The paper then discusses the responses of students to one of the courses developed from these guidelines. The courses were well received by students and although they do not in themselves teach professional psychological skills in working effectively with Indigenous people, they provide a solid basis for the development of such skills. Because this is a relatively new area, it is likely that there will be much refinement of these courses in coming years.     

The role of the supervisor in career and organizational commitment

Supervisors are increasingly required to support employees in their learning and career development. This study investigated relationships between supervisor support activities and their subordinates' career and organizational commitment. Findings suggested that employees who saw their supervisors as giving them trust and the authority to do the job were more committed to their organization, as were those who perceived their supervisors to engage in feedback and goal-setting. This suggested the potential organizational benefits of performance feedback from managers and the importance of supervisors developing the confidence and skills to delegate effectively and have trust in their subordinates. No relationships were found between supervisor support and career identity, career resilience or career planning. The relationship between perceptions of overall supervisor support and organizational commitment was moderated by employee gender. The findings suggested a positive linear relationship between support and commitment for women, but the association between support and commitment was less straightforward in the male sample.     

Self‐managed learning groups in higher education: Students' perceptions of process and outcomes

Background. Self‐managed learning groups are increasingly used in higher education. There is a need for more systematic investigation of university students' perceptions of the processes and outcomes of this learning method. Aims. This study aimed to identify the domains of process issues that students perceive as relevant to their participation in self‐managed learning groups, and how these processes are perceived to influence group outcomes. Sample. Participants were undergraduate psychology students who were members of self‐managed learning groups. Method. The first study employed qualitative methods (namely, students' written accounts, interviews, and observation) to study learning groups (N =180 students) and identify the process domains. In the second study, first and second year students (N =207) used a questionnaire (based on the domains identified in Study 1) to evaluate the processes and outcomes of their learning groups. Results. Analysis of qualitative data (Study 1) identified seven process domains: task focus, staff support, process learning, environmental fit, managing differences, equity and responsibility, and collaboration and cooperation. Factor analysis of students' responses (Study 2) identified an underlying structure of two process factors: personal responsibility and collaborative climate, and staff support and environmental fit. Both process factors were associated with the self‐reported satisfaction and productivity of this group of students. Conclusions. University students' perceptions of the processes of self‐managed learning groups have a clear structure. These process factors are associated with perceived group outcomes in systematic and theoretically consistent ways.     

The Soul of Supervision: Counselor Spirituality

Because spirituality training for counselors and supervisors is vital to counselor development, the authors examined the relationships between purpose in life, the integration of spirituality into supervision, and the supervisory working alliance among a sample of supervisors and trainees. Supervisors reported a greater sense of purpose and spiritual discussion during supervision than trainees. Trainees' personal sense of purpose was positively related to spiritual discussions with a supervisor and to an emphasis on client issues in supervision.     

Professional and ethical dilemmas experienced by counselling supervisors: The impact of organisational context

This paper examines the ethical and professional dilemmas faced by counselling supervisors working in a range of diverse organisational contexts. Questionnaires and interviews were used to explore supervisor experiences of working in counselling agencies, industry, education and health service settings. Ethical and professional dilemmas outlined by supervisors were examined in connection with their role within the organisation. It was found that both external and ‘in‐house’ supervisors were exposed to dilemmas focused around issues of responsibility, confidentiality, boundaries, professionalism, relationships, contracts and ethical practice. Supervisors were divided in their opinions about playing a more active, educative role within organisational systems. There was considerable support for the construction of more explicit relationships between supervisors and their employing organisation.