Multidimensional Scaling in Counseling Research and Practice

The authors briefly describe the use of multidimensional scaling (MDS) in counseling. They discuss types of data that have been analyzed using MDS, kinds of MDS analyses, and the interpretation of MDS results and review MDS research relevant to vocational, family, group, and individual counseling. They also briefly discuss potential applications in counseling practice.     

The Assessment of College Student Need: First Step in a Prevention Response

This article introduces the assessment process, reviews selected assessment studies, and presents a unique procedure for identifying college student needs, leading to a prevention response.     

Alcohol Education Through Computer-Assisted Instruction

The author describes the application of computer-assisted instruction (CM) to alcohol education. The program, titled If You Drink, contains five modules that teach about the effects of alcohol, blood alcohol content, drinking and driving, decision making about drinking, and interactions between alcohol and commonly prescribed medications.     

Research in Counseling

This column is based on the belief that research can provide meaningful data to the practicing counselor. While individual studies may not provide sufficient data on which to act, a combination of separate research efforts or a large-scale, long-term research project does have the possibility of providing sufficient data. This column will undertake to provide that data by either reviewing the current research in a specific area or examining the results from a long-term project. The emphasis will be on implications for the counselor, so there will be little if any information on research design or statistical procedures. Readers desiring more detail about a particular study should write directly to the original author(s). Readers who desire to have the results of their research and/or innovative approaches considered for review in this column should send the material to Richard W. Warner, Jr., Counselor Education, 2054 Haley Center, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36830.     

EFFECTS OF HUMOROUS ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS

Written educational selections and cartoons drawn to illustrate different educational points were arranged to effect a factorial variation in (1) level of difficulty of educational material (easy, difficult) and (2) amount of humor (no humor, moderate humor, extensive humor). Students read one version, evaluated it on a number of dimensions, and were tested over the material. Pictorial humorous illustrations were found to have no effect on information acquisition and on motivation, positive effects on appeal, and negative effects on persuasibility.     

The Removal of a Psychosomatic Symptom: Effects on the Marriage

This study examined the effects on the marriages of twelve patients who underwent intestinal bypass surgery for extreme obesity. Marked conflict and disruption were observed. Most striking were changes in the areas of sexuality and dependence/independence parameters. The authors discuss the function of the symptom of obesity within these marital systems.