The mentorship of undergraduate students in counselling psychology research

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in engaging undergraduate students in psychology research through a mentorship relationship with psychology faculty members. For students, faculty members, and universities committed to undergraduate research mentorship, the potential rewards may be considerable. Yet, the mentorship of undergraduates in research is not without significant challenges. This article examines the benefits and challenges of mentoring undergraduate students in research, both generally and in the specific discipline of counselling psychology. Suggestions for promoting research mentorship relationships between faculty and undergraduate students in counselling psychology and overcoming obstacles are discussed.     

Gender differences in loneliness and depression of university students seeking counselling

Gender differences in loneliness and depression were examined among university students seeking counselling. The short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were completed by 325 counselling seekers (107 males and 218 females) in Israel. Males were significantly higher in loneliness than females, while females were significantly higher in depression than males. The greater loneliness of male counselling-seekers than that of females is discussed, as well as the possibility of a response set. Implications for assessment and counselling are suggested.     

Willingness to seek help for psychosocial problems among Latino and white American college students

This study compared 50 Latino and 50 White American students' perceptions of the severity of 25 psychological problems, their willingness to seek help for these problems, and their preferences for caregivers. Each group received a modified version of the Personal Problems Inventory. Latino students rated depression, financial concerns, and discrimination as more severe problems; their preference for mental health workers consistently significantly exceeded those of White students, although both groups preferred seeking help from family and community resources. Findings suggest the possibility of a greater role for therapists serving Latino students than currently exists.     

Perfectionism,over commitment to work,and burnout in employees seeking workplace counselling

Perfectionism is linked to a range of psychological disorders. Burnout is an important construct in the working population and has been found to overlap with related constructs such as depression. There has been limited research conducted between perfectionism and burnout. This study aimed to examine the link between perfectionism and burnout and if procrastination and over commitment to work were mediators of the relationship. There were 69 participants recruited who were seeking counselling from a counselling firm, providing employee assistance services. The results indicated that procrastination was not a significant mediator of the relationship between concern over mistakes (CM) perfectionism and burnout. There was a significant mediating relationship found, where overcommitment to work mediated the relationship between CM perfectionism leading to burnout. The implications of the study in terms of interventions for employees suffering burnout, and directions for future research in regards to the relationship between perfectionism and burnout are considered.     

Sensation seeking, aggression, and reckless behavior in high school students, college students, and adults

Replicating work of Arnett, males reported more frequent Reckless Behavior than females, and 27 high school and 48 college students did not differ in scores on Sensation Seeking or Aggression. As anticipated by Arnett, the 35 adults had significantly lower Sensation Seeking and Aggression scores than the two younger groups and less Reckless Behavior as well. In contrast to Arnett, Reckless Behavior did not rise for college students, and Sensation Seeking, but not Aggression, correlated with Reckless Behavior in all samples.     

Psycho-demographic correlates of behaviour towards seeking counselling intervention among workers in Lagos,Nigeria

This study sought to examine the impact which age, gender and psychological adjustment have on behaviour towards seeking professional counselling intervention. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select a total of three hundred workers across Lagos metropolis. The ex post facto research design was adopted for the study. Inventory of Attitudes towards Seeking Mental Health Services by Mackenzie, Knox, Gekoski, Macaulay and Hudson's Multi-Problem Screening Questionnaire were adapted for the study. The hypotheses were analysed using multiple regression. The results showed that the three independent variables made a joint contribution of 6.7% to the prediction of behaviour towards seeking of professional counselling intervention while each of the variables made significant contributions.     

Passion,grit, and mindset in undergraduate sport sciences students

The aim of this study was two-fold: (i) to compare passion, grit and mindset between sexes; and (ii) to analyze the relationships between passion, grit and mindset. Fifty-eight men (age: 20.10 ± 2.70 years old) and forty-eight women (age: 19.27 ± 4.10 years old) sports sciences undergraduate students voluntarily participated in this study. A cross-sectional survey design was followed. The passion scale, grit scale and mindset scale were provided to participants. Comparisons in the passion, grit and mindset items revealed no significant differences between sexes (p > 0.05). Relationships between passion, grit and mindset were tested. Overall (both sexes considered), correlations presented small magnitudes in the pair's passion*grit (r = 0.28; 95%CI [-0.07; 0.31]; p = 0.004), passion*mindset (r = 0.203; 95%CI [0.01; 0.38]; p = 0.043) and grit*mindset (r = 0.06; 95%CI [-0.14; 0.25]; p = 0.574). As conclusions, the present study did not find significant differences in passion, grit and mindset between sexes in undergraduate sports sciences students. Additionally, it was verified that relationships between passion, grit and mindset are small in this population.     

Friendships of Indonesian,South Korean,and U.S. college students

The friendships of college students in the United States (n= 61), Indonesia (n= 56), and South Korea (n= 35) were assessed to evaluate the H. C. Triandis, R. Bontempo, M. J. Villareal, M. Asai, and N. Lucca (1988) hypothesis that the friendships of individuals in collectivist cultures are more intimate and less extensive than those in individualistic cultures. Students rated the qualities of their friendships, reported the identity and characteristics of friends, and recorded details of their social interactions using the Rochester Interaction Inventory. The friendship characteristics of South Korean students were generally consistent with the H. C. Triandis et al. (1988) hypotheses, whereas those of the Indonesian students were not. It appears that friendships in some collectivist cultures, including Indonesia, display characteristics of extensive social contacts with others in conjunction with limited intimacy with specific individuals.     

Volitional action and inaction in the lives of undergraduate students: State orientation, procrastination and proneness to boredom

The purpose of this research was to examine the relation between state orientation, proneness to boredom and procrastination as proposed in Kuhl's theory of action (Kuhl, 1994a). The findings from two studies are reported. Based on data collected from 143 undergraduate students on the Action Control Scale (Kuhl, 1994b), study 1 revealed arousal, avoidance and decisional procrastination to be positively related to state orientation. Results of study 2 (n = 120) demonstrated proneness to boredom to be positively related to state orientation, arousal procrastination and decisional procrastination. Overall, this research provides support for a link between proneness to boredom, state orientation, and procrastination. The results are discussed in terms of self-identity and time perception.     

Cultural influences on willingness to seek treatment for social anxiety in Chinese- and European-heritage students

We examined culture-related influences on willingness to seek treatment for social anxiety in first- and second-generation students of Chinese heritage (Ns=65, 47, respectively), and their European-heritage counterparts (N=60). Participants completed measures that assessed their willingness to seek treatment for various levels of social anxiety. Results showed that participants were similar on willingness to seek treatment at low- and high-severity levels of social anxiety; however, at moderate levels, first-generation Chinese participants were significantly less willing to seek treatment compared to their European-heritage counterparts. The reluctance of first-generation Chinese participants to seek treatment was associated with greater Chinese-heritage acculturation, and was not related to perceiving symptoms of social anxiety as less impairing. The findings support the general contention that Asians in North America tend to delay treatment for mental health problems.     

Working Out the Willingness to Accept and Willingness to Pay Gap Using Economics,Psychology, and Happiness Approaches to Valuation

The gap between willingness to accept and willingness to pay is an outcome of incomplete valuation procedure. The solution then is a complete valuation procedure. One approach presented in this paper focuses on the income and substitution effects as the missing items to the valuation procedure. Another approach deals with the hedonic contents of the income, the good, and the setting of the good as the missing items to the valuation procedure. This paper submits a third approach that uses (evaluative) happiness as a proxy of utility while taking account of the hallmarks of the other two valuation procedures: the setting of the good under consideration and the income and substitution effects.     

Morningness-eveningness, use of stimulants, and minor psychiatric disorders among undergraduate students

Morningness–eveningness dimension in humans have been indicated to influence social behavior and individual health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the morningness–eveningness dimension with behavioral and health aspects in a sample of undergraduate students. We assessed demographic data; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep quality; the Morningness/Eveningness Questionnaire to determine morningness–eveningness, and the Self‐Reporting Questionnaire to assess minor psychiatric disorders. A total of 372 students (66.7% females), on average 21.6 years old, participated in this study. Among them, 92.2% did not smoke, 58.9% engaged in physical activities, and 19.7% were night‐shift workers. In regard to morningness–eveningness, 55.9% of the participants were intermediate between evening (39.5%) and morning (4.6%) types. Poor sleep quality (OR = 1.89), minor psychiatric disorders (OR = 1.92), and tobacco consumption (OR = 3.65) predominated among evening types. Evening types were predominantly males (OR = 1.72). This study suggests that evening types are more vulnerable to sleep and psychiatric disturbances, and tend to smoke more than morning types.     

An initial study of transgender people's experiences of seeking and receiving counselling or psychotherapy in the UK

Background: There are no published empirical research studies exploring transgender people's experiences of seeking and receiving counselling or psychotherapy outside of gender identity clinics within the UK. As a result, counsellors know little about why transgender people seek counselling, who they seek counselling from, and what their experiences are of receiving counselling. Aim: To address this gap in the literature, this study investigated transgender people's experiences of seeking and receiving counselling or psychotherapy outside of gender identity clinics within the UK. Funding for this study was provided by a BACP Seedcorn grant. Method: A mixed method small‐scale qualitative research design was employed, comprising an online survey and five semi‐structured interviews. Findings: Participants tended to seek counselling on two or more occasions and received between 2 and 12 sessions. Participants sought counselling for common psychological concerns as well as gender identity and coming out issues. A fear of being discriminated against and exploring gender for the first time were significant barriers in seeking help. Participants reported mixed experiences of counselling but valued a therapeutic relationship in which they felt affirmed, listened to and understood. Discussion: The findings from this study mirror aspects of previous research conducted in the USA concerning transgender clients' experiences of counselling. However, these findings point to the importance of recognising the potential vulnerability transgender clients experience when seeking counselling and the need for therapists to develop greater awareness, knowledge and competence regarding working with transgender clients.     

Manifestation of altruism: Perceptions among counselling students in the United Kingdom

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of a proposed model of the development of altruism, or unselfish caring for others, as perceived by counselling students in the UK. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight counsellors‐in‐training. The data analysis involved open coding, axial coding, and the development of a coding paradigm. Findings: The findings address the four factors (biological, cognitive, social learning, and religiosity/spirituality) proposed in the model. Additional themes included: (a) community development and sustainability, (b) altruism across the lifespan, and (c) the counselling profession. Implications: The findings suggest a relationship between altruism and counsellor success. This supports the integration of altruism within the counselling curriculum, as it relates to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework (2010). Furthermore, the findings support future research focused on altruism.     

Characteristics of students receiving counselling services at the University of Cape Town, South Africa

The aim of the study was to document the correlates of receiving counselling services at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The 932 students who received counselling over a 3-year period were compared with the other 23,158 students registered at the university. Data were obtained from the university computerised record system. Women, Black people and 20-24-year-olds were significantly more likely to receive counselling services. When adjusting for these demographic variables, non-English speakers, humanities students, undergraduates, first-year students, students who were eligible to receive financial assistance, and students from outside Cape Town were significantly more likely to receive counselling. New research is required to determine the reasons for these findings.     

Latent variables underlying the memory beliefs of Chartered Clinical Psychologists,Hypnotherapists and undergraduate students

In courts in the United Kingdom, understanding of memory phenomena is often assumed to be a matter of common sense. To test this assumption 337 UK respondents, consisting of 125 Chartered Clinical Psychologists, 88 individuals who advertised their services as Hypnotherapists (HTs) in a classified directory, the Yellow Pages^TM, and 124 first year undergraduate psychology students, completed a questionnaire that assessed their knowledge of 10 memory phenomena about which there is a broad scientific consensus. HTs’ responses were the most inconsistent with the scientific consensus, scoring lowest on six of these ten items. Principal Components Analysis indicated two latent variables – reflecting beliefs about memory quality and malleability – underlying respondents’ responses. In addition, respondents were asked to rate their own knowledge of the academic memory literature in general. There was no significant relationship between participants’ self reported knowledge and their actual knowledge (as measured by their responses to the 10-item questionnaire). There was evidence of beliefs among the HTs that could give rise to some concern (e.g., that early memories from the first year of life are accurately stored and are retrievable).     

Perceived level of stress among university undergraduate students in Edmonton, Canada.

A sample of 457 (177 men, 280 women) undergraduate students were surveyed regarding perceived level of stress. Women were more likely than men to report an unacceptable stress level. To reduce stress, women were more likely to indicate a need to limit commitments, exercise, and worry less. Reasons for not reducing stress were lack of time and lack of self-discipline, both of which were reported significantly more often by women. The present data suggest health education interventions are needed to assist students in coping with the stress they experience.     

The relationship between Facebook and the well-being of undergraduate college students

We investigated how Facebook use and attitudes relate to self-esteem and college adjustment, and expected to find a positive relationship between Facebook and social adjustment, and a negative relationship between Facebook, self-esteem, and emotional adjustment. We examined these relationships in first-year and upper-class students and expected to find differences between the groups. Seventy undergraduate students completed Facebook measures (time, number of friends, emotional and social connection to Facebook), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Student Adaptation to College Scale. First-year students had a stronger emotional connection to and spent more time on Facebook while they reported fewer friends than upper-class students did. The groups did not differ in the adjustment scores. The number of Facebook friends potentially hinders academic adjustment, and spending a lot of time on Facebook is related to low self-esteem. The number of Facebook friends was negatively associated with emotional and academic adjustment among first-year students but positively related to social adjustment and attachment to institution among upper-class students. The results suggest that the relationship becomes positive later in college life when students use Facebook effectively to connect socially with their peers. Lastly, the number of Facebook friends and not the time spent on Facebook predicted college adjustment, suggesting the value of studying further the notion of Facebook friends.     

Emotional intelligence,coping and exam‐related stress in Canadian undergraduate students

The associations among emotional intelligence (EI), coping, personality and exam‐related stress in a group of 475 Canadian undergraduate students were examined. Stress was measured at the start of the semester and again in the pre‐exam period. Higher levels of stress were associated with lower scores on EI components, and higher scores on emotion‐focused coping and neuroticism. A scale‐level factor analysis of the EI and coping subscales produced three composite factors, which each had high loadings from at least one EI and one coping subscale. The associations of the Emotion Regulation factor (high loadings of several EI components and emotion‐focused coping) and the Task Focus factor (high loadings of Adaptability EI and task‐focused coping) with personality, stress and subjective wellbeing (SWB) were examined using structural equation modelling. The results showed that these factors mediated the effect of personality on stress and SWB.