Innovative Retention Methods in Longitudinal Research: A Case Study of the Developmental Trends Study

Minimizing participant attrition is vital to the success of longitudinal research. The Developmental Trends Study (DTS), a longitudinal study of the development of disruptive behavior disorders, has achieved a low attrition rate throughout the study. The development of early retention strategies, managing contact and scheduling history through the use of electronic databases, interviewer persistence, and the emergence of new electronic search methods have contributed to the success of our study. A literature review of retention methodology and practical solutions to maintain participant cooperation is described. A case study of the DTS is presented to inform researchers in longitudinal research on new methods used to maintain high retention rates.     

Toward an Analysis of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Event from the Holistic, Developmental, Systems-Oriented Perspective

The holistic, developmental, systems-oriented perspective, an extension of some aspects of the theoretical perspective of Heinz Werner and his associates, is briefly characterized with respect to its assumptions, methodological approach, and its analysis of a variety of research on critical person-in-environment transitions. The theoretical perspective is applied in an analysis of the far-reaching critical person-in-environment transition that began with the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001.     

An Anthropologist at Ground Zero, or How I Applied My Group Perspective to the 9/11 Organizational Relief Effort

This paper, originally presented November, 2001 at the Plenary Session of the Annual Conference of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society in New York, describes the application of group psychodynamics to organizations under stress. The presentation illustrates the system sensitivity required of consultants assisting organizations traumatized by the 9/11 terror attacks. The author's comments and recommendations were shaped by his experience overseeing the consulting work provided by EGPS Members to Wall Street in the aftermath of the attacks.     

Assessing Threats of School Violence: Implications for Counselors

The author describes important considerations when assessing students' threats made at schools. In a recent article, M. Reddy et al. (2001) presented 4 approaches to assessing the risk of school violence. They submitted important issues and problems with 3 commonly used approaches and suggested a 4th approach as an alternative. Implications for school counselors are explored.     

Film Review

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis -     

Validity of the Short Form of the Parenting Stress Index for Fathers of Toddlers

We examined the psychometric properties of two scales of the parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) in a low-income sample of fathers of toddlers. The factor structure, reliability, and validity of the parental distress and parent–child dysfunctional interaction subscales were assessed for 696 fathers in a multi-site study of Early Head Start. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) compared the fit of the developer recommended two-factor scales with five-factor scales theoretically derived and supported with mothers. Our results suggested that two subscales from the PSI-SF were reliable and valid for this sample of racially diverse, low-income fathers of toddlers. However, these subscales capture multiple dimensions of parenting stress and results also supported the use of more narrowly defined aspects of parenting stress that included general distress, distress specifically related to parenting demands, problematic interactions of the father–toddler dyad, perceptions of the child, and parental perceptions of self as a parent. These unidimensional scales may prove useful in research and clinical activities by allowing researchers to elucidate the mechanisms through which stress impacts parenting and permitting clinicians information to develop more targeted interventions for young children and their families.     

Boundary Management for Cognitive Behavioral Therapies

In recent years, the scholarship regarding professional boundaries has increased significantly in a variety of areas. Despite many advances in this line of research, less attention has been devoted to the question of boundary maintenance and its relationship to theoretical orientation. In this article we examine these issues for cognitive-behavioral therapies. After a brief historical review of the evolution of the concept of boundaries, we select three procedures integral to cognitive-behavioral practice and discuss how they may create boundary problems for practitioners. We conclude with recommendations for practice.     

Psychosocial environment and affective outcomes in technology-rich classrooms: testing a causal model

Research investigated classroom environment antecedent variables and student affective outcomes in Australian high schools. The Technology-Rich Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI) was used to assess 10 classroom environment dimensions: student cohesiveness, teacher support, involvement, investigation, task orientation, cooperation, equity, differentiation, computer usage and young adult ethos. A sample of 4,146 high school students from Western Australia and Tasmania responded to the TROFLEI and three student outcome measures: attitude to the subject, attitude to computer use and academic efficacy. Confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL supported the 10 scale a priori structure of the instrument. Structural equation modeling using LISREL was used to test a postulated model involving antecedent variables, classroom environment and outcomes. The modeling indicated that: improving classroom environment has the potential to improve student outcomes, antecedents did not have any significant direct effect on outcomes, and academic efficacy mediated the effect of several classroom environment dimensions on attitude to subject and attitude to computer use.