Books: Briefly noted

Abstract

Transcend by Morton Kelsey (The Crossroad Publishing House, New York N. Y. 1981)     

Shape and Function in Hmong Classifier Choices

This study examined classifiers in the Hmong language with a particular focus on gaining insights into the underlying cognitive process of categorization. Forty-three Hmong speakers participated in three experiments. In the first experiment, designed to verify the previously postulated configurational (saliently one-dimensional, saliently two-dimensional, and saliently three-dimensional) characteristics of common Hmong classifiers, the participants were presented with pieces of wood in various shapes and were asked to select a classifier for each item. In the second experiment, designed to examine configurational and functional characteristics of two classifiers associated with saliently one-dimensional objects, the participants were asked to rate the acceptability of the two classifiers for different types of zippers. The interaction between the configurational and functional characteristics in the selection of a classifier was further examined in the third experiment, in which two target items—computer software and a computer processor—were respectively presented to the participants in three different manners with varying emphasis on their shapes and functions, and the participants rated the acceptability of different classifiers after each presentation. The results of these experiments indicate limitations of explaining common Hmong classifiers in terms of configurational characteristics and point to a need for greater attention to functional characteristics.     

Therapeutic outcomes in the Welsh Government's school‐based counselling strategy: An evaluation

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of school‐based counselling, as delivered in the Welsh Government's School‐based Counselling Strategy, for reducing psychological distress in young people aged 11–18. Method: The study used a quantitative cohort design, comparing levels of distress on either the Young Person's CORE (YP‐CORE) or the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) from baseline to endpoint. Data were available on 3613 episodes of counselling, across 42 datasets. Meta‐analytical procedures were used to identify the mean effect size and predictors of outcomes. Results: Within each dataset, counselling was associated with significant reductions in psychological distress, with a mean effect size (d) of 0.93(95% CI = 0.89–0.97) using a fixed effects model and 1.09 (95% CI = 0.97–1.22) using a random effects model. Datasets using the YP‐CORE had larger effect sizes than those using the SDQ, and datasets with more complete response rates had lower outcomes than those with poorer response rates. Conclusion: The results confirm that school‐based counselling, as delivered in the UK, is associated with significant reductions in psychological distress, comparable to adult counselling and psychotherapy services.     

Soothing and Anxiety Regulation: Clinical Applications

The concept of soothing and anxiety management as maternal and ego functions is identified and developed as a concept of self-regulation in the psychoanalytic literature. The purpose of this paper is to focus and highlight its therapeutic importance and its application to regulation of anxiety and subsequent therapeutic gains. Clinical examples are offered.