Research into the organisation,training and effectiveness of counsellors who work for free

The activities of voluntary or ‘paraprofessional’ counsellors, who work for free, represent a highly significant component of the delivery of psychological therapy in Britain and other countries. However, in recent years there has been relatively little published research into issues associated with the provision of service by counsellors who work on a voluntary part‐time basis, and who typically receive limited training and supervision. This paper introduces a special theme section on counselling in the voluntary sector, which highlights some recent examples of research into the context, organisation, training and effectiveness of such counsellors. Some suggestions are made concerning the research agenda for counselling in the voluntary sector.     

Online Data Collection: Strategies for Research

Online data collection, through e‐mail and Web‐based surveys, is becoming an increasingly popular research methodology. In this article, the authors outline the benefits and limitations of this type of data collection to help researchers determine whether their data could be collected online in a way that retains the integrity of the data. A detailed procedure, including strategies to manage limitations, is given for researchers wishing to conduct their own online surveys.     

Logical constructivism,modal logic,and metaphysics: a reply to Professor Pruss' ``Professor Lucas' second epistemic way'

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion -     

Pet Ownership Predicts Adherence to Cardiovascular Rehabilitation1

This experiment examined the effects of pet ownership and potential mediating (e.g., social support) and moderating variables (e.g., gender, personality, pet attachment) on completion of a 12‐week cardiac rehabilitation program. This experiment assessed pet ownership, personality, and psychosocial variables at the beginning of the program and followed participants through to completion. Results showed that pet owners (96.5%) were significantly more likely to complete cardiac rehabilitation compared with non‐owners (79.2%). Covariance analyses ruled out several alternative explanations for the results, including social support, personality variables, personal efficacy, and pet attachment. Results suggest that having a pet may facilitate rehabilitation and that further research is needed to understand how having a pet or being a pet owner improves health outcomes.     

Drama,Spirituality and the Curriculum

The field of drama and moral education has been given some theoretical attention in recent years but little if any theorising has been applied to the area of drama and spiritual education. In UK schools, however, the spiritual education of children is seen as one of a school's core functions and a spiritual dimension has often been important in the global history of drama and acting. Various and conflicting definitions of spirituality and approaches to spiritual education exist. In this article, I begin with an attempt to make connections between these approaches and recent epistemologies of drama education. I then outline a possible theoretical framework for defining spirituality, influenced largely by anthropological and cultural studies, and exemplify it by drawing upon examples from existing practices in the fields of theatre and educational drama. I then conclude by speculating as to how these ideas might find practical expression within a drama curriculum.     

Seeing power in action: The roles of deliberation, implementation, and action in inferences of power

Six experiments investigate the hypothesis that social targets who display a greater action orientation are perceived as having more power (i.e., more control, less dependence, and more influence) than less action-oriented targets. I find evidence that this inference pattern is based on the pervasive belief that individuals with more power experience less constraint and have a greater capacity to act according to their own volition. Observers infer that targets have more power and influence when they exhibit more implementation than deliberation in the process of making decisions in their personal lives (Study 1a), in a public policy context (Study 1b), and in small groups (Study 2). In an organizational context, observers infer that a target who votes for a policy to change from the status quo has more power than a target who votes not to change from the status quo (Study 3). People also infer greater intra-organizational power and higher hierarchical rank in targets who take physical action toward a personal goal than in those who do not (Studies 4-5).     

UFO和声称的绑架事件调查(四)——被外星人绑架

至于被绑架者故事,也并不新鲜。比如,关于仙女被飞龙绑架,后被一个勇敢的剑士救回的故事,就是这样的传说。乡间传说的被绑架者也只不过是每个民族都存在的这种故事的组成部分。骑着巫师的扫把或被仙女用马车带走,也是许多不同民族中流传的民间故事。所以,在我们自己的时代遇到这样的故事也一点都不奇怪。     

Psychological Warfare in Vietnam

Although psychological warfare was practiced to a greater degree in the Vietnam conflict than in any other war in history, virtually nothing has been published about it. Perhaps few wished to be identified with such activity, or it may be that security considerations prevented discussion of the operations. At any rate, the end of the Cold War has made it possible to take a brief look at a hitherto unknown (or undiscussed) subject. This article, however, does not make a pretense of being comprehensive for the whole war, but rather reflects personal observations during one brief period of intense fighting—the summer of 1966.     

School-Wide Behavioral Support: Starting the Year Off Right

Two years of office referral data are presented in evaluation of a school-wide behavioral support program designed to define, teach, and reward appropriate student behavior in a rural middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8). During 1994-95, the school had 530 students and recorded 2,628 office referrals. The 1995-96 school year began with a full day in which students were taught five school expectations. Throughout the year, students also received rewards for appropriate behavior and office referrals for infractions. Results during 1995-96 document a 42% reduction in office referrals from the previous year. While the evaluation results do not document functional relationship, they suggest an efficient process for evaluating school-wide behavioral support, teaching appropriate behaviors, and changing the overall climate of the school. Implications for future research, and the use of schools as a unit of analysis, are discussed.