In-Home Treatment of Families with Seriously Disturbed Adolescents in Crisis

This article describes an innovative Adolescent In-Home Treatment Program that was designed as a hospital alternative for families with adolescents in serious crises. Using multiple-impact, in-home, and in-office techniques, a mental health team systemically intervenes with families to assist them in resolving this major developmental event. Since the program's inception, over 160 high-risk adolescents have completed the 90-day course of treatment. Preliminary data gathered from an early group of families and clinicians suggest the potential of significant improvements in family and adolescent functioning, and the attainment of clinical goals among the majority of families served.     

We are told that marihuana is harmless,except…

Some recent research suggests that marihuana, used in limited doses, may be no more harmful to users than some of the more commonly consumed alcoholic malt beverages, used in limited doses. But a careful examination of the medical research literature reveals specifics—often only hinted at in many of the recent articles on marihuana use—concerning excessive damage to individuals who may have certain physical or psychological inabilities to handle this substance, who may use it in doses that are more than minimal, or who may use it over extended periods of time.     

The case for guidance: testimony before Congress

The author, as a member of APGA's Federal Relations Committee, recently presented testimony on counseling and, guidance services before the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education and Welfare and Related Agencies. This testimony, on behalf of APGA and ASCA, concerned fiscal year 1973 appropriations for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III (ESEA, III)—Counseling, Guidance and Testing. This article is drawn from the author's testimony and is directed toward reporting some of the positive outcomes of counseling and guidance, the dilemma of cutbacks in services, and the need for substantial expansion of fiscal and. personal support for counseling and guidance.     

A Field Experiment Comparing Anchored and Unanchored Criteria Weights in the Analytic Hierarchy Process

This study reports the results of a field experiment comparing the predictive validity of two approaches to multicriteria assessments: the absolute measurement mode of AHP and the absolute measurement mode of linking pin AHP. The questioning procedures of the two differ only in that the former employs unanchored criteria weight assessments and the latter anchored criteria weight assessments. The decision task required insurance agents to respond to a mailed questionnaire in which they evaluated non-monetary incentives (contests) according to (1) the public recognition received from winning, (2) the criteria for winning and (3) the nature of the reward. There were four levels for each dimension. A between subjects design was used, with each subject receiving one of the two methods. In addition, all subjects divided 100 points among four contests and these hold-out assignments were employed as a validity check. Linking pin AHP was found to be superior to conventional AHP in this experiment, lending weight to the argument that the use of unanchored criteria weights is problematic. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. J. Multi-Crit. Decis. Anal. 6 : 140–149 (1997) No. of Figures: 3. No. of Tables: 5. No. of References: 24.     

INFLUENCE OF ASSESSMENT CENTER METHODS ON ASSESSORS'RATINGS

Recently a number of authors have argued persuasively that performance ratings are influenced to a large extent by the way the rater selects, organizes, stores, and recalls information. Although the influence of the rater's cognitive processes on the obtained ratings has been considered in the job-performance evaluation literature, this issue has not been considered in the assessment center literature. The purpose of the present study was to examine how assessment center methods affect the way assessors organize and process assessment center information and affect the ratings they make. Independent groups of assessors underwent one of two methods for evaluating candidates in an assessment center. Data indicated differences in the convergent and discriminant validities and differences in the factor structures of the ratings for the two methods. The pattern of results suggested that the two methods for evaluating assessment center candidates affected the way the assessors organized the assessment center information and affected the obtained ratings. Future research should consider assessment center methods and assessors as sources of variation in assessment center ratings.