Parent Conferences as Therapeutic Moments

This article presents a model for school-based parent conferences that is therapeutic and change focused in nature.     

DESIGNING INCENTIVE PLANS FOR UNIONIZED EMPLOYEES: A COMPARISON OF CONTINUOUS AND VARIABLE RATIO REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULES1

The relative effectiveness of incentive plans administered on continuous and VR-4 schedules of reinforcement was investigated with unionized employees using a within subjects design. Mountain beaver trappers working side by side were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In group A the trappers received $1.00 for every rat they trapped. At the end of four weeks, they were switched to a VR-4 schedule in which they received $4.00 contingent upon trapping a rat and correctly guessing the color of one of four marbles prior to drawing it from a bag held by the supervisor. In group B the order of the schedules was reversed. The results were analyzed in terms of cost-related, behavioral, and reaction criteria. The study increased employee productivity and decreased costs for the company. Inexperienced workers had higher productivity on the continuous reinforcement than on the VR-4 schedule; experienced workers had higher productivity on the VR-4 schedule than on the continuous schedule. Both the experienced and the inexperienced employees preferred the VR-4 schedule over the continuous schedule.     

EMPLOYMENT AT-WILL AND EMPLOYEE DISCHARGE: A JUSTICE PERSPECTIVE ON LEGAL ACTION FOLLOWING TERMINATION

In contrast to statutory constraints on employment-related discrimination, the primary legal context for employee discharge is the common law doctrine of employment at-will. Although some attention has been given to legal issues surrounding employee discharge, there has been little systematic effort to identify the psychological antecedents of the decision to bring suit against organizations for discharge-related reasons. This paper provides an overview of employment at-will and its history in the U.S. and reviews legal developments related to at-will since the late 1980s. We then offer a preliminary model addressing the decision by a discharged employee to bring suit against an organization and the factors influencing the likelihood of liability. We end with a number of practical suggestions that follow from the literature review and model.     

John Watson Murray Rothney: Eminent Practitioner,Educator, and Researcher

This article contains highlights of an interview with John Rothney concerning his personal and professional life and career of research, counseling, and teaching.     

Human Relations Training for the Elderly

The authors desribe a structured group experience designed to improve communication and to encourage support among a population of elderly persons residing in a retirement community. Group activities and suggestions for counselors are provided.