The information theoretic entropy function as a total expected participation index for communication network experiments

This paper shows how the concept of an incidence matrix of communications can be used to define the entropy of a finite scheme. The properties of the entropy function are examined and the function is found to be best interpreted as a total expected participation index. Data is presented showing the relationship between structural centrality and the new total expected participation index. In general, as the network becomes more centralized the smaller the value of the participation index and as the network becomes more structurally decentralized the greater the participation index.This research was supported in part by Ford Foundation Grant 1-40055 to the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Institute of Technology for Research in Organizational Behavior.The author wishes to acknowledge the aid of Terry B. Marbach in the preparation of data.     

Transitional Adolescents,Anxiety, and Group Counseling

One hundred-eighty college-bound high school seniors were studied to determine whether small group counseling would affect their anxiety level. 60 students comprised the experimental group and 60 students each the 2 control groups. 6 small group counseling sessions were conducted during the spring just prior to high school graduation and 6 more in the fall, following college enrollment. Comparison of anxiety levels was made at the conclusion of each series of counseling sessions. The students of the experimental group showed significantly lower anxiety scores than did those of the control groups, both in the spring and in the fall. The conclusion was drawn that experience in small group counseling was followed by significantly lower levels of anxiety in transitional adolescents.     

Wistful Wish: Evaluation Without Values

Two recommendations from a recent statement of standards for counselor education are examined for underlying philosophical assumptions. The first recommendation, that counselors should possess ability for and conduct scientific research, assumes that the counseling process is lawful and orderly, that theoretical concepts can be operationally defined and that empirically testable predictions can be derived from counseling theories. A second recommendation suggests that counselors-in-training be selectively admitted and retained. Underlying this recommendation is the assumption that counseling is a process of influence that can be evaluated. Such evaluation must be based on conditions outside the counseling relationship, in the social context of the life of the client. The serious implications of these assumptions are illustrated and discussed.