The Cosmetic Effect: The Impact of Office Environment on the Client

To increase counselor awareness of factors outside of the direct counselor-client dialogue that can affect client growth, the author discusses the impact of seven contextual variables related to office environment and gives suggestions for improving the counseling process.     

Endocrine reactions and cognitive performance at 60 metres hyperbaric pressure

Endocrine reactions and cognitive performance were examined in a dive to 60 metres hyperbaric pressure ( N = 29). There was a significant increase for prolactine and growth hormone, and a significant decrease for epinephrine and testosterone. Memory was significantly reduced at 60 metres. The factor pattern of the endocrine postdive measures showed a cortisol, a catecholamine, and a testosterone factor similar to previous stress-studies at 1 atmosphere. Confirming previous studies there was a correlation between perceptual defense reactions as tested by the Defense Mechanism (DMT) and cortisol. DMT also correlated with performance on a reasoning test when learning was controlled. Furthermore, for the postdive samples there was a correlation between cortisol and performance on the arithmetic test, while prolactine correlated to memory reduction. These results indicate that the endocrine reactions and the reduction in cognitive performance is due to an effect of the emotional reaction to the dive situation in addition to direct effects of the nitrogen narcosis.     

The Use of Dream Discussions in Counseling

Dream discussions in counseling can aid in setting up and maintaining therapeutic contact with clients. The authors review the historical underpinnings of dreams and summarize several dream theories.     

The Structure of Instrumental Practical Reasoning

Standard views of instrumental practical reasoning often appeal just to an end-directed desire and a means-end belief. I argue that such accounts are insufficient when it comes to the practical lives of agents. Instead I offer a novel view of such reasoning, the heart of which is the addition of a normative belief concerning the desirability of the agent's end.     

Outcome Expectancies and Expectancy Accessibility in Exercise Behavior

Most people do not engage in recommended levels of physical activity. Social cognition research indicates that self‐reported outcome expectancies (OEs) are associated with exercise behavior, but self‐report assessments have limitations. We investigated whether reaction times (RTs) to endorse outcome expectancies would capture unique information about spontaneous cognitive processes associated with exercise behavior. Exercisers and sedentary participants were randomly assigned to complete an exercise test or to rest. Participants completed an OE questionnaire and RT task before and after the test/rest. On the RT task, exercisers endorsed exercise positive outcomes more rapidly than sedentary participants. Furthermore, reported OEs and RTs were independently associated with exercise status. RTs may afford a more comprehensive assessment of the cognitive processes associated with exercise behavior.     

Effects of Counselor Disability and Reputation on Client Perceptions During a Career Counseling Session

This study examined the effects of three counselor influence factors—expertness, trustworthiness, and attractiveness—on participants' impressions of a counselor during a counseling analogue situation. Using a 2 (counselor disability) x 2 (level of training) factorial design, no significant differences were found with respect to counselor social influence. These results are interpreted relative to the literature on perceptions of counselors with physical disabilities.