The interface of family disturbance and individual patienthood

Abstract

This paper addresses the need to approach understanding the individual patient's psychopathology from the vantage point of two etiologic systems: psychoanalytic object relations theory and family systems theory. The complementarity of these approaches is emphasized. It is suggested that the processes of internalization and projection are bridging concepts and that marital relationships provide a unique research context.     

Assessing Mission-Related Learning Outcomes at Zoos and Aquaria: Prevalence,Barriers, and Needs

ABSTRACT

The authors investigated the current practices for assessing mission-related learning outcomes at institutions that belong to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in North America. A survey instrument was sent to 207 education directors in order to examine each institution's efforts in conducting audience research and evaluating the impact of their mission. Survey results from 97 institutions revealed that a large proportion of zoos and aquaria conduct visitor research; however, most only collect measures related to operational performance and not measures concerning mission-related learning outcomes such as knowledge gains, affective reactions to animals, or intended conservation actions. Large institutions tended to collect more information than smaller institutions. Most responding institutions also indicated a need for additional data to evaluate their mission performance. Not surprisingly, the most prevalent barriers for conducting visitor research were found to be inadequate staffing capacity and budgets. Most institutions clearly understand the need for additional mission-related research efforts. Because most institutions already conduct some audience research, incremental efforts, such as pooling resources or common measuring standards could yield deeper understanding of the mission performance in zoos and aquaria.     

Artistic Creativity and Rorschach Whole Responses

The present experiment investigated artistic creativity as it functions in the production of whole responses to Rorschach ink blots. The number, percentage, and quality of whole responses produced by a group of artists were compared to that of a group of nonartists under two instructional sets (regular instructions versus whole response set). Artists and nonartists did not differ significantly in whole response quality. Artists and nonartists gave significantly more whole responses under the whole response set, but artists produced a significantly greater number of whole responses, regardless of instructions. Artists gave a significantly greater proportion of whole responses only under regular instructions. These results give statistical verification to the discriminatory power of Rorschach whole responses in the identification of artistic creativity.     

Sexual Aspects of Rorschach Administration

The factor structure of the items of the 1962 16PF Form A was examined on a sample of 499 air traffic controllers. It was found that the test does indeed measure the primary factors it purports to measure although several of the factors found did not correspond well with the ideal pattern to be expected with the 16PF on this special, highly selected sample of American males. The results were not as discouraging to the 16PF user as would be indicated by other recent studies which shared certain methodological shortcomings.     

Centrality Preferences in Choices Among Similar Options

Three explanations were explored for the finding that people prefer the middle option rather than the extremes when choosing from an array of similar options. In Study 1, 68% chose the middle item from a set of three highlighters and three surveys, whereas 32% chose an item from either end, p < .0001. In Study 2, 71% selected the middle chair from a row of three chairs that were either all empty, or had a backpack occupying either one of the two end chairs, p < .0001. These results support a minimal mental effort principle rather than a preference for symmetry rule. In Study 3, 54.2% recalled more graphic items from the center poster of a 3-poster collage, whereas 31.3% and 14.5% recalled more items from the left and right posters, respectively, p < .004. These findings lend additional support to a focus of attention explanation.     

Temporary Fatigue Effects in a Gross Motor Skill

75 male college Ss were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups to investigate the comparative effects of initial and initial-plus-interpolated total-body physical fatigue upon learning and performance of a gross motor skill. Each S was tested on the Mirror Target Toss Test before and after the appropriate experimental condition allotted to his group: initial, initial-plus-interpolated, and rest. The data were transformed into learning scores by the percent of possible improvement method and analyzed by a simple analysis of variance. Despite substantial effects on the performance curves, neither initial nor interpolated fatigue had any permanent effect on the acquisition of skill.     

Testing four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect: Single- and multi-item entities as comparison targets and referents

In six experiments, we tested four explanations for the better/worse-than-average effect (B/WTA) by manipulating the number of items comprising the target or referent of direct comparison. A single-item target tended to be rated more extremely than a single-item or a multi-item referent (Experiments 1–3). No B/WTA was obtained, however, when a multi-item target was compared with either a single- or multi-item referent (Experiments 4 and 5). A bias favoring a multi-item target was found only if cohesiveness among the items was increased through instructions (Experiment 6). The Unique-Attributes Hypothesis generally provided the best explanation the findings; the focalism explanation also demonstrated some empirical viability. The results suggest that important preferential decision-making outcomes can be affected by both the number of items and whether items are strategically manipulated to serve as targets or referents of comparison.     

Ethics and Values as Major Factors Related to Multicultural Aspects of Counselor Preparation

Counselors and future counselors face a variety of challenges as society becomes more diverse and laden with differing value systems. As the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (American Counseling Association, 1995) is changed to become more inclusive of the values held in a diverse society, changes in counselor preparation to incorporate these changing values are necessary. The authors discuss how values and ethics inform counselor preparation and recommend the application of J. A. Banks's (1981, 1988) multicultural educational pedagogy to counselor preparation programs.     

Model of Effects of Adult Attachment on Emotional Empathy of Counseling Students

The effects of adult attachment on emotional empathy were investigated using a sample of master's‐degree level counseling students. Through structural equation modeling, the authors found that the latent attachment dimensions of avoidance and anxiety work in tandem in their effects on empathy. Lower avoidance and higher anxiety were associated with highest levels of empathy. Results are discussed in terms of attachment theory and the wounded healer concept, with implications for counselor trainees, counselor educators, and counselor supervisors.