Neuropsychology: Implications for the Treatment of Alcoholism

The author describes cognitive deficits that are attributable to alcoholism and discusses the prospect for recovery of these impaired skills. Rather than viewing neuropsychological testing simply as a diagnostic exercise, the author considers the potential treatment role of this psychological subspecialty and its implication for alcoholism counselors.     

Are Some Cognitive Styles More Creatively Productive than Others?

The conceptual similarities among several taxonomies of cognitive style were examined, and common themes emerged concerning their expected contributions to creative output. In the first of two studies, 626 adults from a range of creative occupations, including undergraduates, completed a measure of their quantity of creative output in several domains and their dominant cognitive style out of eight options. In the second, 277 undergraduates reported the extent to which they engaged in any of the eight styles along with the same indicator of creative output. Results showed substantial positive correlations between innovator, synthesizer, and planner styles with productivity, with negative and null relationships for other styles. Furthermore, creative output was highest for people who engaged in a wide repertoire of cognitive styles. It is recommended that creativity training or enhancement programs continue to allocate time to repertoire developement.     

Children's Social Skills: Assessment and Classification Practices

After defining social skills, the authors review recent advances in the assessment and classification of children's social skills. Social skills have been demonstrated to be critical prerequisites to academic and interpersonal success. Therefore, knowledge of recent advances in the evaluation of social skills is essential to the functioning of counselors in schools.     

Internal Validity Studies of a Telephone Preemployment Measure

In this article, the authors present data on the validity and reliability of a new form of employee honesty testing: The Integrity Interview. Advantages of this form of employee honesty testing over other forms are discussed.     

Guidelines for Clients of Private Practitioners: Committing the Structure to Print

Whether done explicitly or not, counselors structure the therapeutic relationship. Clients benefit because they are not left guessing about the ground rules. Counselors benefit from not having to redecide every time a new situation arises. Providing clients with the ground rules in writing helps counselors and their clients operate from a common frame of reference and reduces the likelihood that nontherapeutic issues will become a source of conflict. The author describes one practitioner's experiences in preparing and using guidelines with clients seen in a small private practice.