Studying the vocational counseling process: A preliminary examination

In this study, we examined the effects of counselor empathic and coping/mastery self-disclosure statements on clients' impressions of an initial vocational counseling interview. A primary purpose of our study was to reconsider one aspect of the investigation of Watkins et al(1990), in which the counselor responses of self-disclosure, self-involvement, empathy and open question were found to have no differential effects on clients' impressions of vocational counseling. Even though we attempted to provide a more specific test of empathy versus self-disclosure responses, we for the most part also obtained a general lack of significance on the dependent variables. In conjunction with Watkins et al.'s findings, we provide some discussion of our results, and their potential meanings for vocational counseling and future vocational counseling research.     

Imagery,concreteness, goodness,and familiarity ratings for 500 proverbs sampled from theOxford Dictionary of English Proverbs

Partly in order to facilitate research on the relation between some standard psychological variables, we gathered normative data on 500 proverbs sampled from theOxford Dictionary of English Proverbs (Wilson, 1970). The scales for which we gathered data are imagery, concreteness, goodness , and familiarity. These norms may be of value to researchers who wish to sample linguistic units larger than the word from a set that contains an extensive number of unfamiliar and familiar items. To illustrate the possible uses to which these data may be put, we presented a causal model of the relation between the four variables mentioned above.     

THE USE OF WRIST WEIGHTS TO REDUCE SELF-INJURY MAINTAINED BY SENSORY REINFORCEMENT

The participant in this study was a boy with a long history of self-injurious face slapping. Following a functional analysis indicating that face slapping was maintained by sensory consequences, the participant was given soft wrist weights to wear for progressively longer periods. Data on the frequency of face slapping were collected 5 min before the weights were put on, while the weights were on, and 5 min after the weights were removed. At all other times a protective helmet was placed on the participant's head for 30 min contingent on face slaps. When weights were worn for 30 min each day, face slapping decreased during 5-min observation periods before and after wearing the weights. The use of protective headgear was eliminated by the end of the study. Face slapping did not occur during a follow-up check conducted 5 months after completion of the study.     

Functional analysis and etiology

Cummins (1982) argues that etiological considerations are not onlyinsufficient butirrelevant for the determination offunction. I argue that his claim of irrelevance rests on a misrepresentation of the use of functions in evolutionary explanations. I go on to suggest how accepting anetiological constraint on functional analysis might help resolve some problems involving the use of functional explanations.Thanks to Bill Wimsatt, Greg Mikkelson, Dan McShea, Robert Cummins and the editor and referees of this journal for their comments on earlier drafts.     

Beyond internal consistency reliability: Rationale and user’s guide for Multitrait Analysis Program on the microcomputer

A methodology for evaluating Likert-type scales is presented. Multitrait scaling is a straightforward approach to scale analysis that focuses on items as the unit of analysis and utilizes the logic of convergent and discriminant validity. Multitrait scaling is illustrated with the Multitrait Analysis Program, using patient satisfaction data from the Medical Outcomes Study.     

Test-retest reliability of the test of nonverbal intelligence (TONI)

Test-retest reliability of the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI) was investigated. Fifty students randomly selected from first and second grades were administered Form A and Form B of the TONI on two occasions 3 weeks apart. Test-retest correlation coefficients were calculated for all 50 subjects. The results showed high test-retest reliability: Correlation coefficients were .89 (Form A) and .83 (Form B). Parallel form reliability was also high: Form A correlated with Form B .88 on the first administration and .86 on the second administration.     

Implementation of the Sound Partners Reading Program

Eleven first grade and 10 second grade students, all with reading and behavioral difficulties, received one-on-one tutoring using the Sound Partners reading program (Vadasy & Pool, l997). Students received 30 min of tutoring each day for 5 months. Students were assessed on Letter-Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Word Attack subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised (WJ-R): Tests of Achievement. An informal measure (rapid letter naming) was also used. Results indicated that gains of approximately 1 standard deviation (or greater) were noted for subtests of the WJ-R for first-grade students; second graders showed relatively stable performance from pre- to posttest assessments. Similar performance was noted on the informal measure across grades. Program satisfaction data showed that overall the tutors, teachers, and students were pleased with the program. Discussion focuses on the implications for future investigations.     

Psychopathology Following Interpersonal Violence: A Comparison of Risk Factors in Older and Younger Adults

A randomly selected sample of 549 women age 55 years and older and 2,669 women age 18–34 years was interviewed via telephone to determine prevalences of physical and sexual assault, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, and depression. Prevalences of sexual and physical assaults were lower in older compared to younger women. In addition, given a trauma, prevalences and proportionate risk of posttraumatic psychopathology and depression were also lower for older, relative to younger women. Specifically, multivariate analyses revealed that sexual assault predicted only PTSD avoidance in older adults, but all forms of PTSD symptomatology and depression in younger adult women. Similarly, physical assault predicted only PTSD re-experiencing symptoms in older women, but all forms of PTSD symptoms and depression in younger women. Self-reported health status was not associated with any increased risk of psychopathology, and low income predicted increased avoidance and depression only in younger women.     

White Racial Identity and Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities

This empirical study investigated the relationship between racial identity and attitudes toward people with disabilities. Results indicate that higher statuses of racial identity correlate positively while lower and more racist‐oriented statuses correlate negatively with attitudes toward people with disabilities. The study supports the notion that attitudes from cultural memberships associated with power can transfer from one domain (i.e., White/People of Color) to another domain (i.e., Abled/Disabled). Este estudio empírico investigó la relación entre la identidad y actitudes raciales hacia personas con incapacidades. Los resultados indican que las posiciones más altas de la identidad racial se pone en correlación positivamente mientras bajan y más posiciones racista‐orientados se pone en correlación negativamente con actitudes hacia personas con incapacidades. El estudio sostiene la noción que actitudes de asociaciones culturales asociadas con el poder pueden transferir de un dominio (es decir, los Blancos/Personas del Color) a otro dominio (es decir, Capacitados/Incapacitados).     

The psychology of psychiatric genetics: evidence that positive emotions in females moderate genetic sensitivity to social stress associated with the BDNF Val-sup-6-sup-6Met polymorphism

Previous work indicated protective effects of positive emotions on genetically influenced stress sensitivity. Given the fact that expression of brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) is associated with stress-induced behavioral changes, it was hypothesized that the BDNF Val-sup-6-sup-6Met genotype may mediate genetic effects on stress sensitivity, conditional on the level of concurrent positive emotions. Subjects (n=446) participated in a momentary assessment study, collecting appraisals of stress and affect in the flow of daily life. Multilevel regression analyses examined moderation of daily life stress-induced negative affect (NA) by BDNF genotype, and to what degree this was conditional on concurrent positive emotions. Results showed that heterozygous BDNF "Met" carriers exhibited an increased NA response to social stress compared with "Val/Val" subjects. Positive emotions at the time of the stressor decreased BDNF genetic moderation of the NA response to social stress in a dose-response fashion. This effect was most pronounced in BDNF Met carriers. Thus, the impact of BDNF genotype on stress sensitivity is conditional on the experience of positive emotions. Interdisciplinary research in psychology and psychiatric genetics may lead to the improvement of treatment choices in stress-related disorders.