Making family therapy easier for the therapist: burnout prevention

Burnout prevention for family therapists can be enhanced by careful consideration of the degree of responsibility taken by the therapist contrasted with responsibility placed on the family. Attention to issues of expectations, role definition, sharing of feelings, and therapeutic ambition can ease the strain on the therapist.     

Understanding multiple personality with the Comprehensive Rorschach system

Exner's Comprehensive Rorschach system is utilized in studying a unique sample of patients--three multiple personalities. Each patient and a number of secondary personalities are tested. Several interpretative and technical aspects of Exner's system are clarified. All of the main personalities are ambient, extending Exner's conclusions regarding the implications of this style. The secondary personalities have personality structures which are remarkably different from those of the main personalities. Differences from previous studies are attributed to unique administrative features of the Comprehensive system.     

A supervision approach for teaching structural/strategic therapy in a limited setting

Many counselors are currently undergoing a Kuhnian paradigm shift from linear models of behavioral problem conceptualization to systemic conceptual models. As a result, it has become incumbent on counselor-educators to introduce the systems concept of family therapy to their students within a framework that renders it meaningful not only intellectually but also practically. This paper presents one way of doing this successfully with master's level counselors-in-training who have no live families on which to practice. An overview of systems approaches to family therapy is presented along with a seven-stage supervision approach for teaching structural/strategic therapy in limited situations where the supervision of live families is not practical or possible.     

Stability of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children for a sample of Mexican-American children

Test-retest stability of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) was investigated over a 5$\text{1}\text{2}$-month interval for 42 Mexican-American preschool/kindergarten children. The results indicated that the stability coefficients for K-ABC Global scales and subtests were generally of adequate magnitudes (e.g., .70s and .80s), providing some evidence that the K-ABC is a relatively stable instrument for the sample. The results are discussed in the context of a test-retest study reported in the K-ABC Manual. Global scale stability coefficients were found to range from .76 to .90, and for the subtests the coefficients ranged from .26 to .89. The patterns of gain scores were very similar to the patterns reported in the stability investigation in the K-ABC Manual.     

Doctoral training in behavior analysis: Training generalized problem-solving skills

This essay provides guidelines for designing a doctoral program in behavior analysis. First, we propose a general accomplishment for all behavior analytic doctoral students: that they be able to solve problems concerning individual behavior within a range of environments. Second, in order to achieve this goal, we propose that students be trained in conceptual and experimental analysis of behavior, the application of behavioral principles and the administration of behavioral programs. This training should include class work, but it should emphasize the immersion of students in a variety of environments in which they are required to use behavior analytic strategies. Third, we provide an example of a hypothetical graduate program that involves the proposed training. Finally, an evaluation plan is suggested for determining whether a training program is in fact producing students who are generalized problem-solvers. At each step, we justify our point of view from a perspective that combines principles from behavior analysis and educational systems design.     

Achromatic color categories

Sternheim and Boynton’s (1966) continuous judgmental color-naming technique was used to assess the elemental nature of achromatic colors. Results from three subjects indicate that the names “black” and “white” are necessary and sufficient to describe achromatic test lights associated with the name “gray.” On the basis of the criteria that establishes a color as elemental, black and white were confirmed as elemental, whereas gray was not. These findings support the assumption of various opponent processing models that there are only two elemental achromatic sensations. In addition, the results support Hering’s (1920) view that black and white differ from the paired-chromatic opponent colors in that they are not mutually exclusive.