An experiential approach to the inpatient anger management group

Groups that target aggression on the inpatient milieu usually use psycho-educational and cognitive-behavioral techniques. In contrast, this article presents an experiential approach that targets the moment-by-moment experience within the inpatient group. It makes unique use of group-closing relaxation exercises that facilitate cohesion, consolidate the affectively charged material generated during the session, and reorganize patients' emotional/cognitive understanding of themselves and the world around them. These groups also give patients the opportunity to negotiate the affective residue associated with past aggressive acts, and the opportunity to examine the personal meaning and underlying assumptions behind ongoing group interactions. We describe several techniques or modes of intervention. The authors also use case examples to illustrate the theory, technique, and impact the approach can have on its members.     

Critical Issues in Causation and Treatment of Autism: Why Fads Continue to Flourish

The increasing incidence of autism and the lack of specific answers regarding causation have given rise to unproven educational interventions and medical treatments. Parents of a newly diagnosed child can easily fall prey to interventions that promise cures. These interventions may be harmful and, thus, pose one of the critical issues in special education today. This article will discuss some of the suspect interventions that have been popularized through the media (i.e., celebrities, journalists, and professional organizations). The authors argue that using the scientific method is clearly the antidote for pseudoscience; the need for accurate research-based decision making is apparent.     

Professional Development Policies and Practices in Schools Affiliated with the Association of Christian Schools International

This is a report of survey research conducted among administrators of schools belonging to the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) regarding their professional development policies and practices. Schools from five states in the northwest region of the United States were included in the study. Three categories of policies and practices were identified: supporting individual growth, supporting group growth and those supporting both. We offer recommendations both for professional practice and further research.     

The minister and the birth of a defective child

Summary There now exists a gap in the humanistic and professional care of the newborn defective child and his family—a gap which is so vital that it further adds to the debilitation of the infant and increases force behind the statement, The family with a handicapped child is a handicapped family. The minister in the community is the logical person by reasons of training, sphere of call, and availability to fill this void and assist parents through this most difficult shock or mourning period.In times of death or severe illness, the family minister does not wait to be called by the family before showing his, and the church's, concern. Neither should he wait in the case of defective birth, for no longer is this a subject to be hidden in closets while parents suffer in agonized self-accusation. The very first days are crucial ones, and the minister that makes himself available to the parents during that time in a supportive, listening post role will produce more positive results than will many sessions of counseling in the later years of that infant's childhood.     

Modeling Potential Psychological Risk Factors of Pathological Gambling

This paper proposes a model of potential psychological risk factors antecedent to pathological gambling. Proposed relationships are tested using a structural equations methodology for 2 samples: (a) gamblers composed of members of Gamblers Anonymous and individuals clinically diagnosed and in treatment for pathological gambling. and (b) a demographically matched sample drawn from the general population of a 3-state area from which the gamblers were recruited. Results show both intriguing similarities and differences in relationships among the risk factors. Specifically. for these 2 samples, relationships among the constructs of neurotic/obsessive thoughts, self-esteem, impulsiveness, and anxiety/nervousness are generally similar, but relationships between model constructs and a measure of probable pathological gambling varies across the samples.     

Fight,Flight, or Remain Silent? Juggling Multiple Accountabilities throughout the Formative Stage of a Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative

This paper describes the experiences of a research team as they navigated uncertain ethical and political terrain throughout the formative stage of a public housing redevelopment project. Specifically, we discuss the challenges related to balancing multiple accountabilities and the tensions among the various roles and responsibilities that emanated from different accountabilities. Due to contractual obligations to our funding source, established relations with community partners, and an ethical imperative to align with those holding the least power, we grappled with embodying multiple and often conflicting roles. Without oversight provided by our university institutional review board or a clear ethical framework for community psychology research and action, our team was left to negotiate the challenges that emerged through critical reflection and financial considerations. Throughout the case example presented in this paper, we highlight our difficulty in ethical decision‐making with respect to the principles of obligation, disclosure, consent, commitment, and professionalism. Community psychologists often straddle the realms of academia, community partnerships, and conscious engagement with little guidance in navigating often conflicting roles and value systems. We present our narrative to highlight the complexity of scholar‐activism in the context of community psychology and the necessity for developing ethical standards and guidelines tailored to meet the unique needs of community psychologists.     

The Effect of African American Skin Color on Hiring Preferences1

The role of African American skin color in hiring decisions was investigated in a 2 × 2 × 2 (Participant Sex × Applicant Sex × Applicant Skin Color) design. College‐age participants (N= 107) were presented with stimuli and asked to make 8 employment‐related decisions. An interaction of applicant skin color and participant sex and a skin‐color main effect were predicted. Fair‐skinned applicants were expected to receive better ratings from men, while dark‐skinned applicants were expected to receive better ratings from women or ratings from women would not differ. Additionally, in general, fair‐skinned individuals were expected to receive better ratings than dark‐skinned individuals. The results were consistent with the hypotheses. Results are discussed in terms of the “what is beautiful is good” stereotype and prior research.     

The Process of Transcending a Traumatic Childhood

This study used a qualitative, exploratory approach to develop a conceptual framework that illustrated the process by which spirituality emerged as one of the processes that helped people transcend a traumatic childhood. Ninety people described how they survived and transcended the difficult time. This article outlines the stages of the developmental process that culminated for many in a deeper spiritual awareness and how this helped them in their process of transcending. These findings have implications for marriage and family therapists, clergy, and others in the helping professions in providing therapy, resources, and support for those who have experienced difficult childhoods.