2004 DIVISION 35 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: GENDER AND LEADERSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Literature on gender, higher education administration, and leadership is reviewed using the framework of five principles derived from feminist psychology ( Worell & Johnson, 1997 ): (a) sociocultural context influences leadership situations, (b) power dynamics impact sociocultural structures, (c) people are active agents of coping and environmental change, (d) multiple perspectives are useful, and (e) collaboration is an important technique for changing organizations. Within this framework are discussions of the effects of historical context, gender discrimination and stereotyping, hierarchical organization, masculinized context, the interconnection between gender and status, and leadership as empowerment. Examples of administrative strategies that may promote feminist leadership behavior by college administrators are given, such as understanding behavior in context, promoting structural change, using active survival strategies, changing behavioral incentives, striving for activism and social justice, fostering interdisciplinary perspectives, and encouraging collaboration. Difficulties encountered by women attempting to change the higher education context and assume feminist leadership styles are discussed.     

Treating food selectivity as resistance to change in children with autism spectrum disorder

Change-resistant behavior, such as rigid and selective food consumption, is a core symptom of autism that can have significant negative consequences for the child (Flygare Wallén et al., 2018; Levy et al., 2019). In the current study, we used a matching-law-based intervention (Fisher et al., 2019) to treat the change-resistant feeding behavior of 7 young children with autism. The feeder gave the participant a choice between a change-resistant and an alternative food during free- and asymmetrical-choice conditions. Alternative-food consumption increased for 2 participants during asymmetrical choice when the feeder provided a preferred item for consuming the alternative food and no programmed consequence for consuming the change-resistant food. Alternative-food consumption increased for the other 5 participants after the feeder exposed at least 1 food to single choice in which the feeder guided the participant to put the bite of alternative food in his or her mouth if he or she did not do so within 8 s of presentation. Effects of the single-choice contingencies maintained during reversals and generalized to other alternative foods the feeder did not expose to single choice. These results are important because participants consumed alternative foods even when their change-resistant foods were present, which is similar to typical mealtime contexts in which children have choices among foods.     

Facilitators and Barriers to HIV Activities in Religious Congregations: Perspectives of Clergy and Lay Leaders from a Diverse Urban Sample

This paper examines facilitators and barriers to HIV activities within religious congregations, the relative internal or external sources of these influences, and suggestive differences across congregational types. Results are based on in-depth interviews with clergy and lay leaders (n = 57) from 14 congregations in Los Angeles County, California, purposively selected to reflect diversity in racial-ethnic composition, denomination, size, and HIV activity level. Many common facilitators and barriers were related to norms and attitudes, only a few of which appeared overtly associated with theological orientations. Clergy support was a facilitator particularly prevalent among congregations having higher HIV activity levels, indicating its importance in sustaining and expanding HIV programs. Resource issues were also prominent, with material resource barriers more frequently mentioned by smaller congregations and human resource barriers more among larger congregations. Organizational structure issues were mostly centered on external linkages with various social service, public health, and faith-based entities. Analysis of internal versus external sources highlights the roles of different stakeholders within and outside congregations in promoting HIV activities. Potential differences across congregational types represent fruitful areas for future research.     

Identity categories and transformational paths for face changes across the age spectrum

How faces change across lengthy time periods and whether the changing appearance of a face functions as an identity category was investigated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, the faces of 15 individuals were multidimensionally scaled at each of seven age epochs (roughly <6 months to 75 years of age) and correlated with the same persons, but at different ages. In Experiment 2, three individuals at each of seven age epochs were multidimensionally scaled, and analyses explored the conceptual structure and transformational path of each person within the space. The results revealed that even the earliest age epochs (<6 months) were correlated with the later epochs, except for the most extreme age, with the correlation highest at intermediate ages. Transformational paths were found that emerged and terminated at haphazard points in the space. Results are discussed in terms of principled change in categories whose members systematically change across their life cycle, including suggestions for the need to incorporate systematic change in current theories of categorization.     

Peer relationships in counseling psychology training

Twelve students from APA-accredited counseling psychology doctoral programs were interviewed about their experiences with peers in their program, and about their values and beliefs about peer relationships in graduate school. Interview data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. Participants reported a wide range of positive (e.g. collaborative and supportive) and negative (e.g. competitive and hostile) interactions with peers inside and outside of the classroom, in research, and in clinical work. Compared to advisory and supervisory relationships, peer relationships were typically less formal and more open. The sharing of common training experiences generally facilitated mutual understanding among trainees. In addition, a visual analog scale, the peer relationship scale (PRS), was used to measure participants’ closeness with peers. Results from the PRS appeared to be useful in distinguishing participants with the most positive and negative peer relationships, warranting further investigation of its psychometric properties and application in program evaluation and research on training. Implications for training are discussed.     

Child and Adolescent Resiliency Following a Residential Fire: The Role of Social Support and Ethnicity

The link between trauma and posttraumatic stress has been well-established; however, less is known about the relationship between trauma and resiliency. Traditionally, resilience has been defined as behavioral competence and adaptation following a stressful event. The purpose of this study was to examine resilience, as measured by both internal and external forms of competence, following a residential fire. This study also sought to examine the roles of social support and ethnicity in moderating the relationship between resource loss and resilience. The participants for this study were 90 children and adolescents (ages 8–18) and their families who had been affected by residential fires. Self and parent-report measures were used to assess the variables of interest. A resilience scale was developed using responses on the Child Behavior Checklist. As predicted, results indicated there was a significant relationship between loss and resilience. Specifically, resource loss was found to negatively predict resilience. However, social support and ethnicity were not found to significantly moderate this relationship. Implications for these findings are discussed.     

The Relationship Between Counseling Trainee Perfectionism and the Working Alliance With Supervisor and Client

The relationships between perfectionism, counseling self‐efficacy, and the supervisory and client working alliance were investigated among 143 counseling trainees and 46 supervisor–trainee dyads. Maladaptive perfectionism was negatively correlated with the supervisory alliance and working alliance. Counseling self‐efficacy moderated the relationship between adaptive perfectionism and the supervisory alliance (perspective of the counseling trainee) and maladaptive perfectionism and the supervisory alliance (perspective of the supervisor). The authors conclude that supervisors should consider perfectionism and counseling self‐efficacy as important factors in supervision.     

What’s it all about? A qualitative study of meaning in life for counseling psychology doctoral students

The interviews of 10 female counseling psychology doctoral students regarding their views about meaning in life (MIL) were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. The participants defined MIL as goals or purposes, were actively involved in searching for meaning, and believed that MIL had been stimulated by life-changing experiences and culture. On a personal level, they gained meaning from relationships, personal growth, and religion/spirituality. On a professional level, they gained meaning from providing therapy, conducting research, and teaching. As therapists, participants approached MIL indirectly by asking about client goals/motivations or by focusing on other clinical problems that if resolved would enhance MIL. Implications for doctoral training and for psychotherapy are offered.     

The Role of Positive Emotions in Reducing Depressive Symptoms Among Army Wives

The homecoming period following combat deployment can be as stressful to military spouses as the deployment itself. This study used the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions to examine whether personal resources (adaptive coping, maladaptive coping, and resilience) mediate the relationship between positive emotions and depressive symptoms in Army wives (N = 252) following the homecoming of a deployed active-duty service member. Using path analysis, after controlling for demographic variables and marital satisfaction, positive emotions were related to all 3 personal resources (positively to adaptive coping and resilience, negatively to maladaptive coping). In turn, adaptive coping and resilience were related to fewer depressive symptoms and maladaptive coping to greater depressive symptoms. The direct path between positive emotions and depressive symptoms was nonsignificant, suggesting complete mediation. The final model accounted for 54% of the total variance in depressive symptoms. Results support the important role that positive emotions play in decreasing depressive symptoms in this high-risk population.