From Moral Judgment to Moral Atmosphere: The Sociological Turn In Kohlbergian Research

Power describes working with Kohlberg in developing assessments of a group's sense of community, mutual acceptance of social norms, and the democratic process.     

Emotional Stress: Investigating the Restrictiveness of Residential Security and the Pains of Juvenile Incarceration

The authors found significant differences in emotional stress levels experienced by juvenile offenders confined to facilities having higher degrees of security and structure.     

AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF SELF-APPRAISAL-BASED PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

This study investigated the effectiveness of a self-appraisal-based performance evaluation system (SABPE) that incorporates self-assessment into traditional supervisory evaluation procedures. Its subject sample consisted of 88 faculty members and their chairpersons at a land-grant state university. Results indicated that (1) there was high congruency between self- and chairperson ratings, (2) both ratings had moderate to high levels of criterion-related validity, and (3) both faculty members and chairpersons reported high SABPE acceptance. The implications of these results for future self-appraisal research are discussed.     

EVALUATION OF AN INTERVIEWEE SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM IN A NATURAL FIELD EXPERIMENT

The purpose of this study was to provide an evaluation of an interviewee skills training program in a field setting using a broad sample of interviewers, jobs, and candidates. The training program ( n = 158) derived its content from previous literature and used multiple instructional techniques. An experimental design was employed with a self-study (placebo control) group ( n = 140), random assignment, and many levels of evaluation criteria. Measures exhibited acceptable reliability, and statistical power was high for all analyses. Results indicated that class members responded positively to the program and demonstrated substantial learning. Interviewer evaluations of behavior failed to distinguish between experimental groups, however, and no differences were observed in job offers. Furthermore, no differences were observed between study participants and nonparticipants ( n = 174) in terms of interview behavior and job offers. This study illustrates the danger of relying solely on reaction or learning criteria in the evaluation of training programs. Several explanations are offered for the findings.     

Computer-Assisted Career Guidance: A National Perspective on the Use of DISCOVER and SIGI

The authors describe the institutional use of DISCOVER and SIGI, two computer-assisted career guidance systems, in terms of services provided, staffing, management, and implementation.     

Comparing Family Counseling and Group Counseling: An Interview with George Gazda,James Hansen,and Alan Hovestadt

This article contains edited excerpts from a panel discussion held at the 1984 AACD convention and sponsored by the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW). The three interviewers are members of the Commission on Family Counseling of ASGW. The focus of the interview was on the therapeutic process in family and group counseling and on the delineation of the similarities and differences in the group dynamics in the two modalities.     

ANOTHER VIEW OF DYNAMIC CRITERIA: A CRITICAL REANALYSIS OF BARRETT, CALDWELL, AND ALEXANDER

We argue a divergent perspective from that taken by Barrett, Caldwell, and Alexander (1985) in a critical reanalysis of the evidence for dynamic criteria. Those authors distinguished three definitions of the dynamic criterion phenomenon and concluded, on the basis of secondary analyses of several sets of published data, that dynamic criteria do not exist. Moreover, they concluded that most of the temporal changes in criteria reported in those data sets could be explained by methodological artifacts. In several cases these artifacts were listed in summary form, without a complete consideration of the implications of invoking these artifacts as post hoc explanations. The purpose of this comment is to clarify the debate on dynamic criteria by critiquing the Barrett et al. study. We suggest that a fruitful solution to the problem may lie in trying to understand criteria per se rather than searching for artifacts.     

A Multivariate Analysis of Relationships Between Personality Traits and Value Choice

A canonical analysis disclosed significant relationships between personality traits and value choice. These relationships were interpreted in terms of their usefulness in understanding human behavior.     

The Impact of Contemporary Idealogy and AIDS on the Counseling of Gay Clients

The counseling of gay clients, historically an uncomfortable and unsatisfying experience for many clients and psychotherapists, has become even more of a problem because of the emergence of the political right, the revival of fundamental religiosity, and AIDS. We used survey data and published literature to support the thesis that the above developments have had both subtle and gross negative effects on the attitudes of counselors toward gay clients.     

The Integration of Values Into Family Life Education

The authors discuss the importance of integrating values education with family life education, the assumptions on which such an integration is based, and the impediments to its implementation. Suggestions for overcoming these impediments are presented.