EFFECTS OF SELF-EFFICACY AND POST-TRAINING INTERVENTION ON THE ACQUISITION AND MAINTENANCE OF COMPLEX INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

This study examined the effects of self-efficacy and a two-stage training process on the acquisition and maintenance (i.e., retention) of complex interpersonal skills. In stage one, all participants received basic training in negotiation skills; behavioral measures of negotiation performance were taken following this training. During stage two, alternative post-training interventions (goal setting and self-management) were offered to facilitate skill maintenance. Six weeks later, behavioral measures of performance were repeated. Results indicated that pre-test self-efficacy contributed positively to both initial and delayed performance. While training condition contributed to skill maintenance, self-efficacy also interacted with post-training method to influence delayed performance. Specifically, self-management training attenuated the self-efficacy performance relationship, while goal-setting training accentuated performance differences between high and low self-efficacy trainees. Implications of these findings are discussed for researchers and practitioners concerned with interpersonal skills training.     

Informed Consent Documents of Marriage and Family Therapists in Private Practice: A Qualitative Analysis

This article describes a study involving informed consent documents (ICDs) of family therapists in private practice. Therapists' documents were obtained via email solicitation and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Seven conceptual categories were developed and are summarized. Findings suggest that there were both substantial consistency in the major areas of the documents but variance in their more detailed aspects. The latter was viewed as indicative of the subjectivity involved in creating ICDs and suggests that developing a universal document could be nearly impossible. Stylistic differences were also examined in relation to how they may reflect personal aspects of the therapists.     

EXAMINING A MODEL OF EVOLUTIONARY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMIC CHANGE WITHIN EXISTING SOCIETAL SYSTEMS

Within today's emerging global society, educational systemic change is a dynamic, complex process that must seek to engage active participation of all stakeholders. This article examines alternative models of this process, providing different perspectives of the recursive and comprehensive nature of change when viewed from the vantage points of those stakeholders within the process. An envisioned school or educational system that addresses preparation of a citizenry dedicated to democratic principles and issues of social justice must consciously examine the relationships, that form and reform interconnecting and unifying diverse subsystems within the school's constructed meaning and purpose.     

Men and Violence

The authors explore violence in men from cultural, historical, social, and individual perspectives. The many ways in which violence is expressed by men are examined. The remediation of violent behavior through counseling is studied, and a model for understanding that process is indicated. Resources, both organizational and bibliographical, are furnished. Violence … is as American as cherry pie. H. Rap Brown We've got to stop it, it's you and me, oh violence never did make a man. Geof Morgan     

The Relationship of Purpose in Life to Coping Strategies and Time Since the Death of a Significant Other

The authors investigated the relationship of experienced purpose in life to strategies used to cope with a loss resulting from death and the amount of time since the loss. Forty undergraduates who had suffered the death of a significant other completed an information sheet, the Purpose in Life Test, and the revised Ways of Coping Checklist. People who experienced low purpose in life reported using more emotion-focused coping strategies than did individuals with high purpose. These results are linked to the literature on emotion-focused coping and depression and are discussed in terms of the assessment and preventive treatment of bereaved clients.     

In Memory: Rene A. Ruiz

The life and professional contributions of Rene A. Ruiz are remembered by family, friends, and colleagues. Ruiz's trailblazing work on Hispanic issues in counseling and psychology places him among the ranks of the true pioneers in the field. His career as a counselor, teacher, writer, and researcher spanned three decades prior to his untimely death in 1982. On December 13, 1982, a heart attack claimed the life of Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences Book Review Editor Rene A. Ruiz at the young age of 53. His death was unexpected as he was in good health. With his death, his friends have lost a witty and charming man of high ideals and moral integrity. (Padilla, 1983, p. 137)