Causal models and the assessment-treatment relationship in behavior therapy

The relationship between causal models in behavior therapy and strategies for designing intervention programs on the basis of assessment data is considered. The evolution away from simple univariate causal models is noted and complex causal models for behavior disorders are stressed. However, complex causal models currently preclude empirically based functional analytic and keystone target behavior assessment strategies for intervention design. Future directions for intervention design involving a combination of diagnostic, functional, analytic, and keystone strategies and markers for causal paths are discussed.     

An analysis of the relationship between children''s self-concept and their teachers'' assessments of their behavior: Implications for prediction and intervention

The importance of teachers as significant others in the formation and development of children's school-related self-concepts has been widely recognized. However, the relationship between teachers' assessments of children's nonacademic school-related behaviors and children's school-related self-concepts has not been sufficiently investigated. The present study examined the relationship between children's self-concept of their intellectual and school status and their teachers' assessments of their behavior in school. The sample included 142 children in grades 3, 4, and 5 and 70 teachers. The results showed that teachers' assessments of children's behavior in three areas accounted for 72% of the variance in school-related self-concept.     

A study of alpha hemispheric asymmetries for verbal and nonverbal stimuli in males and females

The alpha hemispheric asymmetries of males and females were examined with electroencephalographic (EEG) techniques during exposure to connected speech and nonlinguistic stimuli. The subject selection controlled for familial handedness and each subject was administered the Block Design and Vocabulary Subtests of the WAIS as a general measure of “visual-spatial” and “verbal” ability. The results showed that there was less alpha in the right hemisphere for nonverbal tasks and less alpha in the left hemisphere for verbal tasks. The females showed significantly more “lateralization” during the tasks as compared to the males. The results are discussed in terms of processing differences and the possible effects of subject variables, stimulus mode, stimulus presentation, and task requirements on neurolinguistic research results.     

Evidence-based approaches to assessing couple distress

This article describes a conceptual framework for couple-based assessment strategies grounded in empirical findings linking couple distress to a broad range of both individual and relationship characteristics. These characteristics can contribute to, exacerbate, or result from relationship problems. On the basis of these findings, the authors articulate specific targets of clinical inquiry reflecting relationship behaviors, cognitions, and affect as well as features of individual distress. Guided by this framework, empirically supported assessment strategies and techniques emphasizing relationship functioning across diverse methods are proposed, including the clinical interview, analog behavioral observation, and both self- and other-report measures. Discussion concludes with specific recommendations regarding clinical assessment of couple distress and directions for further research.     

Influence of self-concept on school adjustment among middle-school students

The view that children's self-concepts influence their school adjustment and behavior is widely accepted, but the strength of the influence and the contribution of specific self-concept dimensions to children's nonacademic performance in school are uncertain. This issue is important in view of evidence that behavior problems are acute among minority children in inner-city public schools. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between specific self-concept dimensions and school adjustment in three areas: (a) general classroom behavior, (b) group participation, and (c) attitude toward authority, as assessed by teachers. The sample consisted of 142 American middle-school children who attended four inner-city public schools. The results showed that significant bivariate correlations existed between each self-concept dimension on the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the three behavioral domains studied. Stepwise multiple regression procedures also indicated strong individual and combined predictive power among the self-concept dimensions.     

Racial Microaggressions and the Filipino American Experience: Recommendations for Counseling and Development

Racial microaggressions are subtle forms of verbal and behavioral discrimination toward people of color. The current qualitative study explores the experiences of Filipino American participants (N= 12), who described 13 categories of microaggressions, including being treated as an alien in one's own land or as a 2nd‐class citizen, being presumed to have inferior status or intellect, being assumed to uphold Filipino stereotypes, or being mistaken for another identity. Recommendations for counseling and development are discussed. Las microagresiones raciales son formas sutiles de discriminación verbal y conductiva hacia las personas de color. El estudio actual cualitativo explora las experiencias de participantes Filipinoamericanos (N= 12), quienes describieron 13 categorías de microagresiones, incluido el ser tratados como extranjeros o como ciudadanos de segunda clase en su propio país, pertenecer presuntamente a una clase social inferior o tener un nivel intelectual inferior, ser presuntamente representantes de estereotipos Filipinos, o ser confundidos con individuos de otra identidad. Se discuten recomendaciones para la consejería y el desarrollo.     

The Pew Versus the Couch: Relationship Between Mental Health and Faith Communities and Lessons Learned from a VA/Clergy Partnership Project

The history of the relationship between religion and mental health is one of commonality, conflict, controversy, and distrust. An awareness of this complex relationship is essential to clinicians and clergy seeking to holistically meet the needs of people in our clinics, our churches, and our communities. Understanding this relationship may be particularly important in rural communities. This paper briefly discusses the history of this relationship and important areas of disagreement and contention. The paper moves beyond theory to present some current practical tensions identified in a brief case study of VA/Clergy partnerships in rural Arkansas. The paper concludes with a framework of three models for understanding how most faith communities perceive mental health and suggests opportunities to overcome the tensions between “the pew” and “the couch.”