No decision‐maker is an Island: integrating expert advice with information acquisition

The present research examined the social context of information acquisition. The main purpose was to examine how decision‐makers' information acquisition processes changed when they were provided access to expert advice. Results indicated that all decision‐makers opted to acquire advice; however, they typically did so only after completing over 75% of their own information search. Decision‐makers agreed more with the advice as task complexity increased, but, in general, searched information in two stages—i.e., a pre‐advice “hypothesis generation” stage and a post‐advice “hypothesis testing” stage. To behave in an adaptive manner, decision‐makers could have used expert advice either to increase their decision accuracy or to reduce their effort expenditure (or both); they chose the former. Implications and further extensions are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calculating savings to the nation from counselling services: Methodological challenges

The research endeavoured to develop and pilot a system to demonstrate savings to the nation resulting from counselling provided by a national voluntary agency. This paper demonstrates the methodological challenges encountered. A questionnaire was developed, focused on four broad dimensions of clients’ lives: Employment & Income, Health, Personal & Social, and Children. The questionnaire was piloted by eight counselling centres, and applied pre‐ and post‐intervention. It proved not always possible to attribute clear savings within the dimensions measured. Direct health‐related costs and sick days off work were relatively straightforward. However, for less tangible factors, e.g. personal and social, and children, it was not possible to attribute direct financial amounts to any improvements. The pilot, therefore, attributed savings where possible. Attrition was a major difficulty, with 976 pre‐intervention questionnaires reducing to only 159 post‐intervention. This paper indicates the challenges of estimating savings to the nation from counselling interventions, and illustrates a flexible flowchart which allows savings and costs to be attributed as and when available. Although no final calculations of savings to the nation are included, it is believed that the learning from the methodological challenges encountered should be useful to other services wishing to assess the financial costs and savings of psychological therapies and counselling.     

DO THE BSRI AND PAQ MEASURE THE SAME OR DIFFERENT CONCEPTS?

The present article assesses Frable's (1989) contention that the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) measures only desirable instrumental and expressive characteristics, whereas the Bem Sex Role inventory (BSRI) measures gender schema and related gender concepts. Comparison of the two instruments indicates, first, that they are similar in content and that the parallel M and F scales are substantially correlated. Further, the results obtained with the two instruments in three areas (self-esteem, sex-role attitudes, and gender-schematic processing) suggest that both are valid measures of desirable instrumental and expressive traits. Sexrole attitudes, however, tend to have small and typically nonsignificant relationships with both sets of scales, whereas few studies of gender schematic processing have produced replicable results even with the BSRI. However, Bem and her associates have reported positive results using other designs that have yet to be replicated using either the BSRI or the PAQ. Thus, in response to Frable's (1989) assertion, it seems at best premature to come to any conclusion about whether one, both, or neither of the questionnaires measure broad gender constructs.     

A Conceptual Model and Clinical Framework for Integrating Mindfulness into Family Therapy with Adolescents

Individual and group‐based psychotherapeutic interventions increasingly incorporate mindfulness‐based principles and practices. These practices include a versatile set of skills such as labeling and attending to present‐moment experiences, acting with awareness, and avoiding automatic reactivity. A primary motivation for integrating mindfulness into these therapies is compelling evidence that it enhances emotion regulation. Research also demonstrates that family relationships have a profound influence on emotion regulation capacities, which are central to family functioning and prosocial behavior more broadly. Despite this evidence, no framework exists to describe how mindfulness might integrate into family therapy. This paper describes the benefits of mindfulness‐based interventions, highlighting how and why informal mindfulness practices might enhance emotion regulation when integrated with family therapy. We provide a clinical framework for integrating mindfulness into family therapy, particularly as it applies to families with adolescents. A brief case example details sample methods showing how incorporating mindfulness practices into family therapy may enhance treatment outcomes. A range of assessment modalities from biological to behavioral demonstrates the breadth with which the benefits of a family‐based mindfulness intervention might be evaluated.     

Effects of rape victim resistance, assault outcome, and sex of observer on attributions about rape

Perceptions of sexual assault were investigated as a function of sex of observer, nature of victim resistance, and assault outcome. Two hundred twenty-nine subjects were randomly assigned by sex to six resistance x outcome conditions. Hypotheses that women and men apply sex-role stereotypes in evaluating the rape situation were supported: (a) subjects were more certain that rape had occurred as the victim resisted more; (b) subjects attributed greater responsibility to the victim for completed that for attempted rape, while the reverse pattern was found for the assailant; (c) women attributed more responsibility to the assailant than did men; and (d) men attributed less fault and more intelligence, and women attributed more fault and less intelligence to the rape victim as she resisted more forcefully. Attributional terms; fault, blame, and responsibility were found not to be interchangeable. Rape attributions are discussed within the contexts of identification with victim's situation and perceptions of victim's control. Implications for choice of self-defense strategy and treatment of rape victims are also considered.     

Loss of control over eating reflects eating disturbances and general psychopathology

This study examined the clinical significance of the loss of control over eating as a key component of eating disorders. It investigated the association of eating-related psychopathology and general psychopathology with objective bulimic episodes (OBEs; experiencing a loss of control while consuming large amounts of food) and subjective bulimic episodes (SBEs; experiencing a loss of control while consuming small/moderate amounts). A community sample of 81 women with a range of disordered eating was recruited: binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, subclinical eating disturbances, or no eating disorders. They were interviewed using the Eating Disorder Examination and completed measures of eating-related and general psychopathology. Both OBE and SBE frequencies correlated significantly with measures of eating-related and general psychopathology, and no significant differences were found between the magnitudes of the correlations with either binge episode type. SBE frequency significantly and independently predicted global eating disorder psychopathology. The loss of control over eating, without consuming large amounts of food, was as closely associated with specific eating disorder psychopathology and general mental health as were traditionally defined OBEs. SBEs may be an important target of treatment and should be considered for future diagnostic classifications of eating disorders.     

Perceptions of Type 1 Diabetes among Affected Youth and their Peers

Management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves balancing several components including diet, exercise, and medication. Peer involvement in management tasks is an important, but understudied, issue in T1D. This study presents results of a preliminary examination of perceptions of disease management in youth with T1D and their peers. Data were collected using a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative data) approach during medical education time at a camp for youth with T1D and their peers. Results suggest that both youth with T1D and their peers believe that peers need more information about medical consequences of having diabetes. Further, youth with T1D and their peers would like coaching on how peers may help the child with T1D manage their illness better. Results provide preliminary ideas for intervention (i.e., including peers, assessing social support) in the medical setting as well as ideas for future research (i.e., examining relationships among perceptions and gender, time since diagnosis).     

Couples’ Attributions for Work Function Changes in Prodromal Huntington Disease

People who have tested positive for the expanded Huntington disease (HD) gene who are not yet diagnosed (pre-HD) and their companions report subtle changes in ability of people with pre-HD to do their jobs. However, it is not known whether they attribute these changes to HD. Semi-structured telephone interviews were analyzed from seven persons with pre-HD at different estimated points from diagnosis and six companions. Data were analyzed using qualitative analysis methods. Participants made attributions related to health, work, and temperament. Only one participant attributed a change to HD. The process of forming attributions was demonstrated through symptom monitoring and comparison of participants with pre-HD to others with and without HD. Participants also expressed uncertainty regarding how to make attributions. Attributions influence coping procedures, including whether to seek and accept medical treatment. In persons with prodromal HD the relationship between attributions and use of coping strategies for symptoms that interfere with job functioning is unknown.     

Disfluent speech associated with brain damage

The frequency and type of disfluencies in the spontaneous speech of 15 people with Broca's aphasia and right hemiplegia was studied. Two aged-matched control groups (15 nonaphasic stroke patients with left hemiplegia and 15 normals) were also studied. The frequency of disfluencies in the speech of aphasics was three times greater than that in the speech of either control group. However, most of the disfluencies uttered by aphasics were of the types commonly found in speech of normals.     

Twenty Counseling Maxims

Beginning counselors typically experience difficulty in transitioning from classroom-based counseling skills and theory training to their initial clinical experience. Current training models fail to provide a conceptual bridge of practical value to assist in this transition. Three organizing processes, illustrated through 20 counseling maxims, were developed for skills-trained novice counselors to provide a conceptual foundation for their clinical decision making.