The role of marital attributions in the relationship between life stressors and marital quality

This study examines the role that marital attributions play in the relationship between the occurrence of stressful life events and marital quality. Using a stress adaptation theory framework, data from 58 couples were used to test for the presence of a moderating relationship. The results supported the moderational model, indicating that the marital quality of couples who make relationship‐enhancing attributions about their spouses’ negative behaviors is less related to stress than those who make distress‐maintaining attributions. Couples’ successful adaptation to stress may be dependent on their ability to use their marital attributions as a coping resource. While the types of marital attributions a couple makes have the potential to make their marriage more vulnerable to the effects of stress, they also have the potential to serve a protective role.     

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF FEMALE PERFORMANCE,PERFORMANCE TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO AID WOMEN IN THE WORK-ROLE ENVIRONMENT1

The research dealing with female managerial performance has generally been plagued with empirically inconsistent results, anecdotal literature and an inability to develop generalizable theory. A prepositional analysis of the female performance literature is utilized in an effort to provide direction and focus. The paper concludes that methodological problems may be contributing to invalid conclusions concerning female performance, and efforts to improve performance. In addition, it is concluded that organizational initiates designed to aid women have not been significant.     

The Values of Counseling: A Disparity Between a Philosophy of Prevention in Counseling and Counselor Practice and Training

The results of a study examining the disparity between counseling's philosophy of primary prevention and actual education and practice are presented. Results indicate that only the belief that society does not demand preventive mental health services provided a meaningful explanation for the disparity. Two paradoxical implications for the field of counseling are offered and discussed within the perspective of virtue ethics.     

Equality ratio equity,general linear equity and framing effects in judgments of allocation divisions

It is argued here that there is not necessarily a contradiction between the general linear and equal ratio approaches to equity, and the two may be integrated to make more precise predictions. It was hypothesized that, (a) equity is best represented by a limited equal ratio rule; (b) the more a linear distribution systematically deviates from equal input/outcome ratios, the more unfair it will be judged, but (c) subjects will prefer a distribution that accords with a general linear formula in certain cases where an equal ratio distribution of available outcomes would actually infringe a preeminent or established equal ratio distribution. Four studies are presented, the results of which seem broadly to support these ideas. However, the results also suggest that equity judgments can be strongly influenced by framing effects.     

Gender differences in empathic accuracy: Differential ability or differential motivation?

Following their qualitative review of the findings from 10 relevant studies, Graham and Ickes (1997) speculated that reliable gender‐of‐perceiver differences in empathic accuracy (a) were limited to studies in which the empathic inference form made empathic accuracy salient as the dimension of interest, and (b) therefore reflected the differential motivation, rather than the differential ability, of female versus male perceivers. These speculations were tested more rigorously in the present study, which examined a larger set of 15 empathic accuracy studies and applied the techniques of quantitative meta‐analysis to test Graham and Ickes’(1997) moderating variable hypothesis. The hypothesis was strongly supported, consistent with a motivational interpretation previously proposed by Berman (1980) and by Eisenberg and Lemon (1983), which argues that reliable gender differences in empathy‐related measures are found only in situations in which (a) subjects are aware that they are being evaluated on an empathy‐relevant dimension, and/or (b) empathy‐relevant gender‐role expectations or obligations are made salient.     

An Empirical Investigation of Interaction and Relationship Patterns in Functional and Dysfunctional Nuclear Families and Stepfamilies

This study identifies key variables that distinguish nuclear families from stepfamilies, and functional from dysfunctional stepfamilies. Sixty-three family triads (mother, father, child) were studied using five instruments: Family Concept Test, Locke-Wallace Marital Inventory, Family Relations Test, Family Interaction Task, and background questionnaire. Results indicated that functional stepfamilies are similar to functional nuclear families in that both exhibit good marital adjustment, strong, positive bonds between biological parent and child, disinclination to exclude family members, and ability to make mutually compromised family decisions. The key differences were less intense interpersonal involvement between the stepfather and child and a stronger tendency toward the existence of parent-child coalitions in stepfamilies. Similarities between dysfunctional stepfamilies and dysfunctional nuclear families include stronger parent-child coalitions compared to their functional counterparts and lack of mutual decision-making skills that fulfill the choices of individual members. Unexpectedly, marital adjustment was better in dysfunctional stepfamilies than in dysfunctional nuclear families. Relationship patterns were similar in functional stepfamilies and in dysfunctional stepfamilies except that they were more extreme in the dysfunctional stepfamilies. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical implications for understanding stepfamilies, and clinical implications in terms of how dysfunctional stepfamilies might best be treated.     

Competencies Counselor Educators Value

The research described here demonstrates one method for the behavioral definition of competencies desired for graduate students in counseling. Counselor educators were asked to rate the importance of selected student behaviors in their current evaluation of their graduate students. A total of 684 or 45.6% of all full-time counselor educators in Hollis and Wantz's Counselor Education Directory 1974 completed the questionnaire. Ten dimensions emerged from the factor analysis of the data: Personal Development, Research and Professional Activities, Behavioral Strategies in Counseling, Application of Counseling Theory, Class Participation, Relationship Strategies in Counseling, Collaboration, Efficiency, Respect for Individuality, and Flexibility. Counselor educators self-identified with four theoretical orientations differed significantly at the .05 level on their valuing of 8 of the 10 factors. The orientations compared were behavioral, client-centered, eclectic, and humanistic. The analyses of variance also revealed significant differences on five factors among the respondents when the data were analyzed by academic rank.