Understanding Cancer Patients’ Narratives: Meaning-Making Process,Temporality, and Modal Articulation

Temporality is a fundamental dimension of each narrative process of meaning making. In fact, the narration constructs and organizes temporal frames that connect one's own experiences. From this point of view, oncological illness is experienced as a traumatic experience that interrupts the sense of continuity of one's own life, resulting in the configuration of different temporal frames, which are not always able to support the processes of elaboration of this experience. The aim of this article is to explore the way the modal verbal predicates (must, can, will, know) are organized and work in relation to the representation of time in narrations of cancer patients. The modal verbal predicates—introducing the meanings of possibility, knowledge, will, desire, duty, need, or ability—allow us to organize the relationship between the subject, action, and context. Six narrations of cancer experience were analyzed—one for each time frame (linear, circular, fragmentary, static, cyclic, and spiral) proposed by Brockmeier (2000)—by means of quali-quantitative analysis of the use of modal verbs. Narrations show specific modal positioning: dispersion, plasticity, focusing, rigidity, and poverty. It is possible organize them along a continuum from plasticity to rigidity. The modal plasticity is the capacity to reconfigure a new temporal relation between subject and context, whereas modal rigidity shows a repetition of a specific and same modality in connecting subject and context. This preliminary research allows us to reflect about some possible clinical implications to support and foster processes of meaning making of cancer conditions.     

A review of the feminist pedagogy literature: The neglected child of feminist psychology

Feminist psychologists have introduced feminist values, critiques, and methods into the science and practice of psychology. On the topic of teaching, feminist psychologists have done a thorough job of addressing curricula issues, but they have been involved marginally in developing the literature on feminist pedagogy. A comprehensive review of the feminist pedagogy literature was compiled based on a review of 60 articles, 25 chapters from books, 10 books, and 4 bibliographies. The review covers major aspects of the legacy of patriarchy in schools as well as feminist transformations of traditional educational practice. Explanations are posed for the minimal involvement of feminist psychologists in the development of the feminist pedagogy literature. Reciprocal benefits are identified for both the field of psychology and the feminist pedagogy scholars if more bridges are built between the two.     

Implementation and Development of Federally-Funded Systems of Care Over Time

This study describes development in federally funded systems of care. Data for this study were collected using the System of Care Assessment that rated grantees' enactment of system of care principles in the infrastructure and service delivery domains. Data were collected by trained raters who conducted several site visits over the funding period. This study described system development over time across 61 sites and tested whether gains were statistically significant. Latent profile analysis was used to explore whether sites could be meaningfully grouped based on their baseline service delivery domain scores. Differences across groups were tested in terms of community, system, and client characteristics. Differential growth across groups was also examined. Overall, systems of care developed over time in both the infrastructure and service delivery domains. Although infrastructure scores were generally lower than service delivery scores, greater gains were seen for the infrastructure domain. Three groups of sites were identified that could be distinguished in terms of degree of development overall, and for specific system of care principles. The groups of sites differed in terms of community factors, system features, and client characteristics. In addition, repeated measures analyses found differential growth in system development over time across groups.     

USE OF THE GATB “G” SCORE FOR PREDICTING ACHIEVEMENT ON THE GED

The present study investigates the relationship of the GATB “G” with the GED. Practical and theoretical implications are involved. Making use of samples from the Las Vegas, Nevada population, the study compares scores of individuals administered the GED and GATB. A substantial correlation for prediction purposes was devised to illustrate the use of the GATB “G” to predict, by interval, an individual's position on the GED. The expectancy table helps guide the Vocational Counselor with a constructive tool whereby he advises the next steps of action for an educationally deficient or proficient client. The study recommends further replications to determine if such studies could guide agency policies whereby vocational counseling practice is improved and agency testing costs reduced.     

Book reviews

Ellis, A. W. (Ed.). Progress in the psychology of language, Vols 1 and 2. London: Erlbaum Associates. 1985. Pp. vii+247 (Vol.1), v+274 (Vol.2). ISBN 0-86377-027-4 (Vol.1), 0-86377-028-2(Vol.2). £19.65. each.

Eysenck, M.W. A hondbook of cognitive psychology. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 1984. Pp. 417. ISBN 0-86377-016-9. Hardback £26.95; paperback £8.95.

Roy, E. A. (Ed.). Neuropsychological studies of apraxia and related disorders. Amstrdam: North olland. 185 Pp. 414. ISN 0-444-87669-3. $60.00.

Fischer, K. W. and Lazerson, A. Human development frm conception through adolescence. New York: W. H. Freman. 1984. Pp. 747. ISBN 9-7167-1575-9. £24.95.

Sloboda, J. A. The musical mind. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985. Pp. vii+291. ISBN 0-19-852114-6 (hardback) £20; ISBN 0-19-852128-6 (paperback) £9.65.

Howell, P., Cross, I. and West, R. Musical structure and cognition. London: Academic Press. Pp. xiv+ 338. ISBN 0-12-357170-7. £44.     

Supportive and interpretative interventions in fostering mentalisation during counselling

ABSTRACT

This work analysed which profiles of counsellors’ supportive and interpretative actions emerged in two group counselling interventions designed to promote mentalisation in underachieving university students. The Psychodynamic Intervention Rating Scale was used to analyse this and the level of depth of defence interpretations. Two outcome measures were administered to analyse student mentalisation and their academic achievements. Process findings showed that supportive actions were used for the most part in both counselling interventions; however, only one group improved in terms of mentalisation and academic performance. In the good-outcome group, there were more defence interpretations, especially during the early sessions, and with a deeper level of elaboration. The innovative relevance of these findings and their implications for practice among counsellors are discussed.