Perception of Cognitive Ability in Families of Adolescents

The families of 20 hospitalized adolescents were compared with a control group of 20 non-pathological families on the accuracy with which family members could predict each others' performance on two tests of intellectual ability. Accuracy of prediction was measured by the discrepancies between actual scores obtained by each family member and the scores other family members predicted he or she would obtain. The control and experimental groups were found to differ significantly on socioeconomic status and intellectual ability, and when these variables were controlled, a covariance analysis revealed no significant difference between the groups on accuracy of predictions. The results suggest that variables other than psychopathology must be taken into account in explaining apparent differences between healthy and disturbed families on measurements of interpersonal judgments. Implications for research and family therapy are discussed.     

Status of guidance in the elementary school: 1968–69

This study investigated some aspects of elementary school guidance and counseling in the 50 states and the 4 territories of America. Specifically such matters as number of counselors employed, their sources of financial support, professional background, certification, and state standards were examined. Counselors now working in elementary schools in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands total 6,041. The majority are supported in part by federal funds, with 36 percent supported locally. Eighty to 90 percent of the counselors are trained in guidance and counseling. To date, 23 states indicated certification requirements specifically for counselors at the elementary level.     

Laboratory training and encounter groups

This article reviews developments and concepts in the small group training field. It provides a brief historical perspective on group training and working definitions for some of the more frequently mentioned types of small groups: the T-group, encounter group, marathon, and therapy group. It also comments on research dealing with both the effects of group training and professional-ethical issues.     

Research on Family Interaction I: Static and Dynamic Models

A static and dynamic model of family structure are presented and illustrated in clinical application to a pilot study. The basic measure is a content-free assessment of the sequence of states of interaction in family sessions. Using Markov process concepts, certain parallels between the behavioral variables (state transitions) and the more abstract clinical concepts of family structure can be identified. By subsuming the latter structural concepts under a framework of "balance theory" (Heider; Cartwright and Harary) considerable reduction in complexity is achieved without sacrificing clinical relevance.
Still to be explored are the applications to the study of therapist-family interaction and of treatment-related changes in structural and behavioral measures.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEWS: REPLICATION AND EXTENSION1

Eight performance review interview characteristics were related to 7 interview outcomes. Several of these individual variables had been examined in previous research. Two hundred seventy nursing personnel described their last review interview. Five of the interview characteristics were related to most of the outcomes, replicating earlier research as well as adding new findings. Implications for improving the conduct of appraisal interviews in organizations are offered.