Developing a Model of Advanced Training to Promote Career Advancement for Certified Genetic Counselors: An Investigation of Expanded Skills,Advanced Training Paths,and Professional Opportunities

There are currently multiple paths through which genetic counselors can acquire advanced knowledge and skills. However, outside of continuing education opportunities, there are few formal training programs designed specifically for the advanced training of genetic counselors. In the genetic counseling profession, there is currently considerable debate about the paths that should be available to attain advanced skills, as well as the skills that might be needed for practice in the future. The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors (AGCPD) convened a national committee, the Committee on Advanced Training for Certified Genetic Counselors (CATCGC), to investigate varied paths to post-master’s training and career development. The committee began its work by developing three related grids that view career advancement from the viewpoints of the skills needed to advance (skills), ways to obtain these skills (paths), and existing genetic counselor positions that offer career change or advancement (positions). Here we describe previous work related to genetic counselor career advancement, the charge of the CATCGC, our preliminary work in developing a model through which to view genetic counselor advanced training and career advancement opportunities, and our next steps in further developing and disseminating the model.     

Spatial configurations: Erikson reexamined

In a 1951 study, Erik Erikson reported differences in preadolescents' play constructions. He claimed that his findings reflected differences between males and females in their experience and perception of space. The present study replicated but also expanded the original design. In order to control for possible sex bias of materials, a constructed scene using only blocks was added to Erikson's original design. The results failed to replicate Erikson's findings. In fact, in the construction of scenes from blocks, more females than males built erected structures; this was true across all ages. These findings are in direct contrast to Erikson's results, and they lead to the conclusion that the materials provided, not innate anatomical sex differences, account for the resulting spatial configurations.The research reported here was part of the first author's dissertation. The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of Holy Innocents Episcopal School and Georgia State University.     

Journal Reviews

[Authors are invited to submit for review articles published in professional journals on subjects likely to be of interest to readers of the Journal of Analytical Psychology. Chapters or secrtions of books may also be sent provided the book has not been submitted to our Book Review section.] Beebe , J. (San Francisco). ‘The trickster in the arts’ Gordon -Montagnon , R. (London). ‘Jung: fils rebelle ou prophete?’ Gordon -Montagnon , R. (London). ‘Desire and woman: a Jungian approach.’ Gordon -Montagnon , R. (London). ‘Tentative d'anatomie d'un concept: le soi.’ Salzmann , M. (Paris). ‘Divin Corbeau. Approche d'un my the sibérien’ Samuels , A. (London). ‘Gender and psyche: developments in analytical psychology’     

Information becomes evidence when an explanation can incorporate it into a causal framework

Recognizing information as evidence is central to the development of scientific reasoning. When does information about an event come to be treated as evidence relevant to explaining the event? We asked whether this was increasingly likely to happen when an explanation becomes available that can incorporate both the event and the information into a single causal framework. In three studies, we presented participants with events for which there were two possible and plausible explanations (a baseline and one of two alternative explanations), as well as with two pieces of background information. While all explanations could account for the event, only one alternative explanation (the “target” explanation) could incorporate both the event and the background information into a single causal framework. The results indicated that information is more likely to be seen as evidentially relevant to an event when there is an explanation available that can accommodate both the event and the information into a single casual framework than when such an explanation is lacking. Furthermore, the presence of this information renders the target alternative increasingly plausible. That is, it is the interdependence of explanation or theory and evidence that allows us to realize that some information is likely to be evidential. However, for this to happen, the relation between explanation and information must be made salient, either by explicitly asking about it (as we did in Study 1) or by fleshing out the target explanation (as we did in Study 3).     

Is intrinsic religious orientation a culturally specific American Protestant concept? The fusion of intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation among non‐Protestants

The relationship between intrinsic and personal extrinsic religious orientation as suggested by Gorsuch and McPherson is studied within four denominational samples of university students in four different cultural environments. Results show that intrinsic and extrinsic personal religious orientation form two separate dimensions only within the American Protestant sample. In three different European religious environments (one Eastern Orthodox, one Islamic, and one Roman Catholic), all extrinsic personal and intrinsic items can be combined into a single dimension. It is speculated that the intrinsic orientation may be culturally tied to Protestantism. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Visual perception of touchdown point during simulated landing

Experiments examined the accuracy of visual touchdown point perception during oblique descents (1.5 degrees -15 degrees ) toward a ground plane consisting of (a) randomly positioned dots, (b) a runway outline, or (c) a grid. Participants judged whether the perceived touchdown point was above or below a probe that appeared at a random position following each display. Although judgments were unacceptably imprecise and biased for moving dot and runway displays, accurate and unbiased judgments were found for grid displays. It is concluded that optic flow per se does not appear to be sufficient for a pilot to land an airplane and that the systematic errors associated with optic flow under sparse conditions may be responsible for the common occurrence of landing incidents in so-called "black hole" situations.     

Gender Differences in Self-Reports of Depression: The Response Bias Hypothesis Revisited

This study was designed to revisit the response bias hypothesis, which posits that gender differences in depression prevalence rates may reflect a tendency for men to underreport depressive symptoms. In this study, we examined aspects of gender role socialization (gender-related traits, socially desirable responding, beliefs about mental health and depression) that may contribute to a response bias in self-reports of depression. In addition, we investigated the impact of two contextual variables (i.e., cause of depression and level of intrusiveness of experimental follow-up) on self-reports of depressive symptoms. Results indicated that men, but not women, reported fewer depressive symptoms when consent forms indicated that a more involved follow-up might occur. Further, results indicated differential responding by men and women on measures of gender-related traits, mental health beliefs, and beliefs about depression and predictors of depressed mood. Together, our results support the assertion that, in specific contexts, a response bias explanation warrants further consideration in investigations of gender differences in rates of self-reported depression.     

Hypochondriasis Among Patients with Multiple Somatoform Symptoms—Psychopathology and Outcome of a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

As hypochondriasis often occurs with somatization, patients with somatization disorder plus hypochondriasis were compared to patients with somatization syndrome alone regarding psychopathology, patterns of physical symptoms and outcome of a cognitive-behavioral inpatient treatment. A sample of patients with DSM-IV hypochondriasis and multiple somatoform symptoms(N = 27) and a matched sample of patients with multiple somatoform symptoms but without hypochondriasis (N = 27) were assessed. All subjects obtained a cognitive-behavioral treatment for somatization and hypochondriasis. Assessment took place at admission and at one-year follow-up. Only a few differences between the groups were found: Hypochondriacs suffered more often from abdominal pain, and they reported a higher intolerance of bodily complaints. At follow-up, all outcome variables improved significantly. High effect sizes were found for the reduction of symptoms and the mean number of visits to the doctor. The specific effect on health care use highlights the socioeconomic relevance of these results.