Counseling Blacks: A Group Approach

This article argues that group work is the most effective clinical tool for work with Black clients because of their Africentric dispositions.     

AN EXAMINATION OF LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY: THE RELEVANCE OF TRAITS AND RELATIONSHIPS

Creativity is becoming a topic of ever-increasing interest to organizational managers. Thus, there is a need for a greater understanding of the dynamics between the personal and contextual factors responsible for creative performance in work settings. In particular, there is a need to identify the role of leadership for creativity. Until now, creativity studies have examined leadership and employee characteristics from a single-domain perspective. Data from 191 R&D employees of a large chemical company were used to test a multidomain, interactionist creativity model of employee characteristics, leader characteristics, and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX). Results suggest that employee intrinsic motivation and cognitive style, LMX, the interactions between employee intrinsic motivation and leader intrinsic motivation, and between LMX and employee cognitive style relate to employee creative performance as measured by supervisor ratings, invention disclosure forms, or research reports. Implications for practicing managers and research on leadership and creativity are discussed.     

THE FALLOUT FROM ABUSIVE SUPERVISION: AN EXAMINATION OF SUBORDINATES AND THEIR PARTNERS

Using spillover and crossover theory, we examined how subordinate's experience of abusive supervision impacts both subordinate's and partner's family domains. Specifically, a model was proposed and tested that examined the fallout from abusive supervision through 2 types of strain, work‐to‐family conflict and relationship tension, on family satisfaction of the subordinate and on family functioning of the partner. Using a matched set of 280 subordinates and partners, this study found that abusive supervision contributes to the experience of work‐to‐family conflict and relationship tension. Further, family satisfaction for the subordinate and family functioning for the partner were diminished through the experience of relationship tension. Interestingly, although the experience of work‐to‐family conflict contributed to relationship tension, it did not directly impact the family outcomes. We discuss the study's implications for theory, research, and practice while suggesting new research directions.     

CONTROLLING ATTITUDES

Abstract:  I hope to show that, although belief is subject to two quite robust forms of agency, believing at will is impossible; one cannot believe in the way one ordinarily acts. Further, the same is true of intention: although intention is subject to two quite robust forms of agency, the features of belief that render believing less than voluntary are present for intention, as well. It turns out, perhaps surprisingly, that you can no more intend at will than believe at will.     

The Impact of Counselor and Participant Gender on Willingness to Discuss Relational Topics: Development of the Relationship Disclosure Scale

The current investigation examined people's willingness to disclose personal information about their intimate relationships to counselors. This was accomplished by asking 431 students to indicate how willing they would be to discuss 25 relationship topics, as measured by the newly developed Relationship Disclosure Scale (RDS), with female and male counselors. The results indicated that people's willingness to disclose their intimate relationships to counselors depended on their own gender, the gender of the counselor, and the particular relationship topics assessed by the RDS. In addition, several personality variables associated with relational-esteem and relational-consciousness were found to be associated with women's willingness to engage in relationship disclosure with male and female counselors. These findings underscore the impact of gender and personality on counseling disclosure tendencies. The discussion focuses on gender and the use of the RDS in research and counseling settings.     

Professional Career Services: An Exploratory Study

This study assesses the willingness of three groups of job seekers to use professional career counseling services.     

Identity Development and Worldview: Toward an Optimal Conceptualization

Positive self-identity is not easily attained in this culture. This premise is supported by the pervasive number of “-isms” (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism) and their adverse impact on those who are defined as inferior by the dominant way of perceiving. Examination of the conceptual system that predisposes people to these “-isms” concludes that (a) it is the nature of the conceptual system that is inherently oppressive and (b) all who adhere to this conceptual system have a difficult time developing and maintaining a positive identity. This article postulates a new way of describing the identity development process under oppression using optimal theory (Myers, 1988). From this optimal worldview, oppression is perceived as self-alienating and yielding a fragmented sense of self, based upon devaluation by self and others. Therefore, identity development is a process of integrating and expanding one's sense of self. Optimal theory provides a new inclusive model of identity development, which is described, along with its applications for counseling practice. No es facíl obtener una identidad positiva de uno mismo en esta cultura. Esta premisa se apoya en la gran cantidad de “-ismos” (e.g., racismo, sexismo, heterosexismo, “edadismo”) y los impactos adversos en la gente que sería definida como inferior por la manera dominante de percibirlo. La conclusión de un examen del sistema conceptual que predispone a las personas a estos “-ismos” es que (a) la naturaleza del sistema conceptual es inheréntemente opresivo, y (b) todos aquellos que se adhieran a este sistema conceptual tendrán dificultades con el desarrollo y mantemiento de una identidad positiva. Este artículo postula una nueva manera de describir el proceso del desarrolo de la identidad bajo opresión utilizando la teoría óptima (Myers, 1.988). Desde esta visión universal óptima, se ve a la opresión como autoalienación y creadora de un sentido fragmentado del yo, basado en la devaluación por uno mismo y por los demás. Por tanto, el desarrollo de la indentidad es un proceso de integración y amplificación de la percepción de uno mismo. Esta óptima teoría nos da un modelo inclusive nuevo del desarrollo de identidad, lo cual se describe, junta con sus aplicacions para la práctica de consejería.     

Challenges and Promises of Training Women as Family Systems Therapists

The structural/strategic family therapy model has drawn increasing numbers of women practitioners attracted not only by its effectiveness but by the opportunity to function in an active, orchestrative, flexible role. Traditional sex-role training, family and supervisor expectations, and patriarchal institutional structures pose particular challenges to the female family therapist and trainee. This paper explores several critical problem areas for women learning to function in this role, including the expression of authority, countertransference, sexual politics of supervision, and boundary issues. Particular content areas of focus for didactic training and common sex-role difficulties in the supervision process are delineated. The discussion underscores the need for assessment and intervention skills not only in small family systems but in larger institutional structures as well in order to enhance the professional development and effectiveness of women in the family therapy field at all levels.     

Stay/leave decision-making processes in abusive dating relationships

A multivariate causal model was tested to determine the extent to which two central questions, “Will I be better off” and “Can I do it?”, contribute to abused daters' stay/leave decision-making processes. Participants completed questionnaires consisting of multiple measures of relationship satisfaction, alternatives, investments, subjective norm, personal resources and barriers, and structural resources and barriers. The first question and its indicators accounted for over 87% of the variance in participants’intention to stay in or leave their relationships. Results highlight three important avenues for future research: identifying both positive and negative aspects of abusive relationships, increased clarification of the commitment construct, and emphasis on further operationalizing the construct “Can 1 do it?”