Choosing Between Parametric and Nonparametric Tests

A fundamental analysis decision confronting researchers in psychology and education is the choice between parametric and nonparametric tests. Despite the statistical and substantive implications of this important decision, many researchers unerringly employ parametric tests and thus ignore the advantages of their nonparametric counterparts. One justification for this behavior has been the absence of guidelines for choosing between these procedures. A second has been the lack of a comprehensive nonparametric test that is computationally manageable. In this article, the author discusses several statistical and substantive criteria that can be used to choose between parametric and nonparametric tests. A non-parametric test capable of testing a number of statistical hypotheses using existing computer packages is also presented. Recommendations are made encouraging researchers to routinely use nonparametric tests in their data analytic work.     

Computerized Career Information and Guidance Systems: Caveat Emptor

Computerized career information and guidance systems, although now commonplace, have received little psychometric scrutiny. The authors argue for examining these systems in the same way in which paper and pencil instruments are assessed. Consideration is also given to issues related to programming, technical-service problems, and staffing.     

The College Plans of Academically Talented Students

Academically talented students scoring in the 95th and 99th percentiles on the 1986 ACTs were compared to each other and to “high average” students scoring in the 80th percentile in terms of their choices for college majors, extracurricular plans, and desires for services. Academically talented students were found to be narrow in their choices of majors but broad in their extracurricular interests. Although uninterested in personal counseling, they are demanding of career counseling, independent study, and honors opportunities.     

UCLA's Career Counseling Center: A Dialogue About a Unique Service

In this interview, two counseling psychologists describe aspects of a relatively unique career counseling service that has been validated by 40 years of success in the marketplace. Composed of 3 intensive individual interviews and 15 to 25 hours of educational and psychological testing, the service assists clients in identifying and beginning pursuit of suitable educational and occupational goals. The counselors describe how they organize and sift through test results to formulate recommendations for a client's unique career circumstances, why they accept responsibility for developing and presenting concrete recommendations, and what the changes in their clients' concerns suggest about the evolution of work in the United States. Their specificity and professionalism will help counselors understand the craft of career counseling.     

New Directions in Career Guidance: A Special Report for the Profession

Bonaparte, G., Chapman, J., & Steinberg, J. (1987). Michigan: Two career guidance models. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 142–143. Greenwood, K. (1987). Counseling adults in career transition. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 44–46. Herr, E.L. (1987). Comprehensive career guidance and vocational education: Natural allies. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 30–33. Lambert, R. (1987). A guide to career information. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 34–36. Lester, J.N., & McCormac, M.E. (1987). The NOICC career guidance standards project. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 47–48. Otto, L.B. (1987). Parents: Key advisors. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 37–38.     

Power,family therapy,and the systemic-organismic paradigm

How is the concept of power integrated into the systemic organismic paradigm? Power concepts, especially Kantor and Lehr's six dimensions of distance regulation mechanisms, are related to several models of family therapy. Power is found to be a part of the Gestalt formation process of Perls, a process of dynamic selfregulation. Each family therapy model is regarded as part of an integrating process. A theory of conflict strategy and of integration strategy in therapy is developed. The article is intended to promote comparison and exploratory discussion around different models of family therapy.     

A benevolent conceptualization of marital power: The case of depression

Treatment of the depressed client with low self-esteem, external locus of control, and an absent spouse often is frustrating due to the limitations of modifying the social context. An approach to the problem using a systemic view which is based on examining the notion of power and examining the problems in their context is presented. Interventions which sidestep the temptation of emphasizing self-esteem of the client and, instead, utilize client strengths and interactional dynamics within the marriage are presented.     

The client: Therapist's partner or therapist's opponent? thoughts on the question of power and cooperation in therapy

The difference in process and outcome of two therapies conducted by the author with families having a psychotic adolescent is considered. Attention is paid to the fact that in one case the client was regarded theoretically as an opponent and in the other as a partner. It is concluded that the contention thatthe therapist must decide whether to be influential or cooperative arises from a logical confusion by failing to recognize that therapy cannot be anything other than cooperation.Originally published as part of a special issue on the power metaphor guestedited by Klaus G. Deissler inZeitschrift fur systemische Therapie (1986),4, 253–257. Translated by S. Awodey.     

Self-help and child abuse: Victims,victimizers, and the development of self-control

Study of child abusers reveals that many victimizers were once victims and that the behaviors underlying the perspectives of victims and victimizers are related. Three groups of abusing parents using directed self-help were studied at Parents Anonymous by participant observation methodology for two and-a-half years. Four of the 52 participating parents read and commented on a draft of the research. Their violence appeared to be an attempt to gain a sense of control or to deal with the frustration of not feeling in control. Suggestions are made for developing social services that enhance individuals' sense of control.Paper presented at the Groves Conference on Marriage and the Family, London, England, July, 1986.     

Visual perception during naturalistic near-death out-of-body experiences

This study attempted to ascertain the most appropriate content and placement of visual stimuli in a hospital-based study of the veridicality of out-of-body perception in the near-death experience (NDE), and the likelihood that a subject in such a study would notice, clearly perceive, and accurately recall a visual stimulus. Based on the questionnaire responses of 63 subjects who had near-death out-of-body experiences (ND OBEs), at least some of the respondents described sufficiently complete and accurate visual perception during the experience to warrant the pursuit of veridicality research in hospitals. Recommended stimulus content for such research includes a surface with intense color and lighting, and simple number and/or letter combinations. Stimuli should be as far below ceiling level as possible while maintaining double-blind criteria. Some characteristics of the individual NDE and NDEr may affect veridical perception during the ND OBE.This paper was derived in part from her Ed.D. dissertation submitted to the Northern Illinois University Graduate School.