The training of telephone crisis intervention volunteers

Telephone crisis intervention services are growing at a very rapid rate. A review of the literature reveals that there are very few references to this new phenomenon and even fewer that deal with evaluating the effectiveness of telephone crisis training. Herein 7 articles are reviewed which deal with volunteer selection and training. These articles demonstrate that no consistent rationale for volunteer selection or training exists. Selection of volunteers typically consists of a gross screening to eliminate any obviously unsuitable persons, with training serving as a further sorting procedure where volunteers who are uncomfortable with the role of a crisis interventionist can be encouraged to drop out. The authors suggest that a training model be built around crisis intervention theory using principles of social learning as the methodology for training.     

Assessing nonprofessional mental health workers with the GAIT

Coed groups of undergraduates took the Group Assessment of Interpersonal Traits (GAIT) twice with either a 3-week or a 9-week interval. Peer ratings of the nine GAIT scales were unrelated to sex. Test-retest correlations were significantly positive for the short-interim Ss (N = 41) but were generally low for the long-interim Ss (N = 29). Peer-rated GAIT Therapeutic Talent variables (Understand, Accepting-Warm, Open) were significantly correlated with the self-reported Comrey Personality Scale of Empathy, and GAIT Open was significantly correlated with Comrey Activity. GAIT Open, Accepting-Warm, and Best Counselor ratings were significantly correlated with total verbal responses (as counted from audiotapes of the GAIT interactions). The highly intercorrelated GAIT Therapeutic Talent variables may not be discriminated by peer raters. It is suggested that peer GAIT Therapeutic Talent ratings may be tapping an underlying global dimension, Help-Oriented Activity. Attention is called to the need for standardizing Gait ratings and for retaining the economy and ease of the GAIT.     

Clinical and statistical approaches to the assessment of brain damage in children

In an attempt at innovation in the clinical versus statistical prediction controversy, the present research examined three methods of assessing organic brain damage in a sample of sixty-eight 9- to 14-year-old children. Methods compared were clinical judgment (CP); existing actuarial norms (EAN); and derived statistical prediction (DSP), based on three psychological tests. The results were as follows: (a) None of the methods classified subjects significantly better than chance (p<.05); (b) there was no significant difference (p<.05) among the methods in terms of their rates of accurate classification; (c) CP based on combined tests did not result in higher predictive accuracy than those based on an individual test; (d) CP made after receiving feedback on accuracy showed an increase in number of correct classifications over prior CP; and (e) CP based on knowledge of the statistical prediction in addition to test data showed a higher rate of correct classification than DSP alone.     

Procrustes matching by congruence coefficients

Matching by Procrustes methods involves the transformation of one matrix to match with another. A special least squares criterion, the congruence coefficient, has advantages as a criterion for some factor analytic interpretations. A Procrustes method maximizing the congruence coefficient is given. This solution is identical to Mosier's [1939] approximate solution, but is an exact solution for maximum congruence.     

Commitment as psychological process: Theory and pastoral implications

Persons today must devote significant effort to making and remaking personal commitments in a variety of contexts, both interpersonal and social in the larger sense. Therefore, it is important for pastors to acquire an understanding of the basic dynamics of the committing process. It is proposed that this process be viewed as a form of creativity involving four alternating phases, in which regression in the service of the ego allows deep and realistic commitments of self to be formed. Implications for pastoral care are suggested.     

Meaningful pastoral intimacy

Closeness, warmth, perhaps touching, and some understanding are characteristic of interpersonal relationships. However, there are dangers of intrusion and insensitivity when persons invite pastors to become intimate. Superficial and false intimacy may substitute for closeness. Pastoral care should transcend the primitive holy man role, which is cold because the holy is desexualized. Intimacy is a closeness between persons in areas we tend to guard as personal.He is the author ofThe Power to Bless andRaise the Dead.     

The ecological assessment of an autistic child

The behavior of an autistic child was observed in his natural environment. Observations were made in three settings, over approximately 6 months. Sixteen behaviors of the child and six behaviors of adults and peers were recorded. A cluster analysis was performed to identify response classes within the behavioral structure of the child and to see if correlations existed between response and stimulus events. To examine intra- and intersetting changes, Spearman rank correlations and ttests were also computed. This autistic child exhibited a diversity of behavior over time in a given setting and across settings. He persistently ignored other nonautistic children, although he was responsive to adults. Response classes reflected an inverse correlation between the child's selfstimulatory behaviors and his attentiveness to the environment. Elevated levels of adult attention were consistently related to reduced levels in most self-stimulatory behaviors. Two response classes showed inverse relationships between self-stimulatory behaviors. Reducing the frequency of some self-stimulatory behaviors might cause increases in others.This study is based on a dissertation submitted by the first author to The University of Tennessee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. The research was conducted under the chairmanship of the second author. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Dr. Edward E. Cureton for his help with the statistical analyses.     

DOMINANCE AND INEQUALITY IN X-RATED VIDEOCASSETTES

Feminists have been concerned about the debasement of women in sexually explicit material. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of domination and sexual inequality in x-rated videocassettes through a content analysis of 45 widely available x-rated videocassettes. The sample was randomly drawn from a list of 121 adult movie titles widely available in family videocassette rental stores in southern California. Over half of the explicitly sexual scenes were coded as predominantly concerned with domination or exploitation. Most of the domination and exploitation was directed by men toward women. Specific indicators of domination and sexual inequality, including physical violence, occurred frequently. The growth of the videocassette rental industry and the popularity of x-rated films, coupled with the messages these films convey, is a cause for concern.