Prompting Metacognition During a Job Search: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial with University Job Seekers

Searching for a job is a self-directed activity that requires self-regulation over significant periods of time; yet, in the scientific community, we know little about proximal support interventions that shape the self-regulation processes during a job search. Using an experimental design, we tested a proximal support intervention in the form of metacognitive prompts and how this shaped metacognition and effort in 123 university job seekers over a period of 9 weeks. Job seekers who were exposed to the intervention reported higher levels of metacognition, effort, and a greater number of job interviews compared to job seekers in a control condition. Additionally, the present study revealed that the prompting intervention, compared to the active control condition, resulted in higher levels of metacognition for job seekers who were less committed to finding a job than for job seekers who were more committed to finding a job. In summary, the current study makes important contributions to the job search literature and practice by fine-tuning our understanding of the interventions that may support metacognition during the job search process and the individuals for whom these interventions may be most effective.     

The Effects of Combining PETTLEP Imagery and Action Observation on Bicep Strength: A Single-Case Design

We investigated the effects of PETTLEP imagery combined with action observation on bicep curl performance. Using a single-case design, four participants completed a baseline phase followed by PETTLEP imagery with and without an observational aid. Results indicated that using an observational aid in conjunction with PETTLEP imagery can improve bicep curl performance, but not to a greater degree than PETTLEP imagery alone. This indicates that observational aids may not be an essential addition to imagery interventions. The study highlights further the benefit of using PETTLEP imagery for enhancing strength performance, which should be considered by practitioners delivering resistance training programs.     

Raising Our Game: The Necessity and Progression of Expertise-Based Training in Applied Sport Psychology

At present, training in applied sport psychology chiefly targets and accelerates professional competence. However, theory and evidence suggests that our clients would experience significant benefit if our training targeted and accelerated professional expertise rather than just competence. Specifically, we argue that expertise-based training can (a) help trainees to go on to break the “thinking ceiling” of competence; (b) foster a more independent, flexible, and creative form of practice; and (c) support a longer term and more practitioner-centered training philosophy. To deliver these benefits, we then conclude by outlining some key principles for the progression of expertise-based training in applied sport psychology.

Lay Summary: In light of the inconsistencies that still surround professional training in ASP, we discuss the merits that a more expertise-based agenda can bring to practitioners and, most important, our clients. We also discuss ways in which this agenda can be progressed to support an evidence-informed evolution of ASP training systems.     

Creating space for interdisciplinary and interagency learning: the Newham ‘responsiveness’ days

Family therapists in Newham's specialist child and adolescent mental health services describe an interdisciplinary and interagency training day for Newham's children's workforce; the workshop aims to develop co‐learning about communication and collaboration in the context of a rapidly changing service environment, driven by current national and local policy initiatives. The training team attempts to generate a rich learning context using three themes: networking, responsiveness and complexity. The workshop demonstrates that it is perhaps possible to embed complex communication discourses in brief, pragmatic training, enhancing collaboration between professionals in local networks.     

Group Counseling for Aged Women

Because of the benefits of group-counseling experiences, the lack of psychological services for older adults, and the unique concerns of aged women, a group-counseling program for aged women was conducted. The results of these efforts are presented for the purposes of sharing the proposed program sequence, describing what actually took place during the group sessions, conveying the comments and reactions offered by the group participants, and summarizing what we learned about facilitating groups for aged women.