Two Contrasting Explanations of Involvement Violations:

Among the theories that address the impact of variations in immediacy behaviors during ongoing interactions are expectancy violations (EV) and discrepancy arousal (DA) theories. This study of the effects of violations of expectations on arousal, reciprocity, and compensation in the medical practitioner-patient relationship contrasts EV predictions with DA predictions. EV theory predicts that given a communicator with high reward valence, high and very high involvement (including touch and close proximity) should be met with reciprocation (increased involvement), and low and very low involvement should be met with compensation (increased involvement). DA theory predicts compensating very high involvement with decreased involvement, reciprocating high involvement with increased involvement, compensating low involvement with increased involvement, and reciprocating very low involvement, with decreased involvement. Results supported neither theory as all involvement changes were met with reciprocity. Additionally, although all violations/discrepancies were followed by changes in arousal, size of arousal change was not monotonically related to size of involvement change, as predicted by DA theory. Finally, although positive versus negative emotional experiences were not related to physiological indicators of arousal change, size of involvement change was directly related to the experience of positive and negative emotions. Thus, it appears that involvement change size directly predicts emotional experience and is not mediated by arousal change.     

Measured Increases in Male Emotional Expressiveness Following a Structured Group Intervention

This study investigated whether men age 30 to 50 are able to increase their level of affective expressiveness, as measured by both self-report and behavioral tests. Twenty-eight subjects, drawn from a pool of 42 volunteers who met the criteria for participation, were randomly selected and placed into experimental or control groups. Experimental group subjects participated in a multimodal group intervention based on Social Learning Theory principles and targeted at changing cognitive, affecfive, and behavioral components of expressiveness. Results of the analyses revealed significant group differences in expressiveness across measures. That is, men can learn to express their feelings given the proper conditions. The experimental group showed greater consistency between their self-reported and actual behavioral expressiveness than did the control group. The contrast between subjects' behavorial expressiveness and perceived frequency of expressiveness are considered. Implications for counseling are discussed.     

Attachment as a Function of Parental and Partner Approach-Avoidance Tendencies

This two-part investigation develops a new scale of parental attachment that includes the previously under examined form of role reversal, or being a caregiver for one's parent, and explores the contention that romantic attachment is more dyadic than originally conceived, in that it is a function of an interaction between parental attachment style and specific partner romantic attachment style. It was expected that the most secure partners would have secure attachments with their parents and partners who report their own secure romantic attachment, that the most preoccupied partners would have been anxious-ambivalent in their attachment to their parents and paired with dismissively avoidant others, and that the most dismissively avoidant partners would have been role reversed by their parents and paired with preoccupied partners. Support for this expanded model was found, in that parental and partner attachments both influenced the final form of romantic attachment, with partner attachment appearing to have more influence than parental attachment. The relationship of romantic attachment style to the subsequent communication outcome of self-disclosure was also explored. Results supported expectations, with security relating positively to intentional and honest self-disclosure, preoccupation relating negatively with honesty, and dismissive avoidance relating to greater positivity and less honesty.     

Cult Affiliation and Disaffiliation: Implications for Counseling

Between 2 and 5 million young adults are involved in cult groups in the United States. Psychohistorical influences, family dynamics, and religious values affect an individual's susceptibility to joining a cult. Cult affiliation affects the cult member and his or her family members. Although cults have high conversion rates, they also have high rates of disaffiliation. Counselors working with those who join and leave cults need to develop an awareness of clinical symptoms associated with doing so and use appropriate interventions.     

Attraction Toward and Nonverbal Stigmatization of Gay Males and Persons With AIDS Evidence of Symbolic Over Instrumental Attirudinal Structures

AIDS, the disease, has become highly associated with gays in our society. In fact, so much so that homosexual tolerance is more predictive of nonverbal involvement with persons with AIDS (PWAs) than it is of nonverbal involvement with gays. Additionally, fear of AIDS contraction is just as predictive of greater nonverbal involvement with gays and PWAs as is homosexual tolerance. This adds evidence to the claim that symbolic (anti-gay) and instrumental (fear of contraction) factors both must be considered when predicting attitudes and behaviors toward PWAs. Finally, these findings add further evidence to the claim that one's true attitudes are not always discernible from one's actions. This three-part investigation examines Stigmatization toward gays and persons with AIDS as more a symbolic than instrumental process, through the expression of attraction (task, social, and physical) and desire for future interaction, and through nonverbal expressions of involvement.     

COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS AND STRATEGIES IN CHILDREN'S CONVERSATIONS

Using Tough's hierarchical analysis of language functions, uses, and strategies, this study found developmental differences in the communicative functions and strategies used by preschoolers in their conversations with one another. At three, the most important communicative functions were to verbally master information about the environment (interpretative function) and to express one's needs and ideas (relational function). Interpretative strategies included labelling and elaboration of detail, which enabled children to explore their environment through verbal means. Relational strategies reflected the child's egocentrism since 75% of those strategies were self-emphasizing strategies. At four, a major developmental shift occurred, with the projective function becoming most important, followed by the relational function. Within the projective function, imaginating strategies enabled children to create new roles and contexts for their play. Both imaginating and relational strategies incorporated increasingly adaptive communication directed toward others. Generally it was found that females appeared to develop language strategies (utilized by both sexes) earlier than males, and achieved a more advanced level of cognitive complexity and communicative adaptability in their relational and projective strategies.     

Reducing disruptive behavior through consultation

A university laboratory school counselor was consulted by a fourth grade teacher in order to resolve disruptive classroom behaviors of one student who did not stay seated and frequently spoke without permission. A behavioral approach in the classroom enabled the counselor to help. The teacher was instructed to pay attention to the child only when he remained seated or raised his hand for recognition. The student's behavior improved substantially. This study illustrates how the counselor can be effective as a consultant.