A national survey of practicing psychologists' attitudes toward psychotherapy treatment manuals.

There has been considerable debate and little empirical data on the role of psychotherapy treatment manuals in clinical practice. Attitudes toward treatment manuals are a potentially important determinant of how likely practitioners are to use manual-based treatments in clinical practice. A total of 891 practicing psychologists nationwide were surveyed about their attitudes toward treatment manuals and their ideas about the content of manuals. Practitioners held widely varying attitudes toward treatment manuals, and ideas about what constitutes a manual were associated with attitudes in a predictable way. Recommendations are made for how to gather more useful information about practitioners' attitudes toward the many changes affecting current models of clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A National Survey of Practicing Psychologists' Use and Attitudes Toward Homework in Psychotherapy.

Homework assignments have been studied extensively in psychotherapy research, but there is little data on the way in which homework is transferred to clinical practice. A survey was conducted of 827 practicing psychologists nationwide regarding their use and attitudes toward homework. Overall, 68% of the present sample indicated that they "often" or "almost always" used homework assignments. Factor analysis revealed that practitioners have a range of attitudes that can be classified as reflecting the notion that homework has (a) a negative impact on in-session therapeutic work and (b) a positive effect on therapy outcomes. More positive attitudes were reported among those with a cognitive-behavioral theoretical orientation. Nevertheless, the use of homework among psychodynamic/analytic practitioners reported in the present sample was unexpected and suggests that theoretical and empirical work is required to examine homework's effects in a range of psychotherapy approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes of U.S. and Czech/Slovak mental health and health professionals toward five types of sexually explicit materials

Mental health and health professionals' attitudes toward sexually explicit materials in the U.S. and Czech/Slovak Republics were investigated. An instrument measuring attitudes toward educational, soft-core, hard-core, violence, and bizarre/paraphiliac sexually explicit materials was administered to sexologists, psychologist/counselors, and medical professionals. These professionals were attending conferences in the U.S. and the Czech/Slovak Republics between November 1992 and September 1993. Mental health and health professionals had the most favorable attitudes toward educational sexually explicit materials followed by soft-core and hard-core materials, respectively. They had unfavorable attitudes toward violent and bizarre/paraphiliac sexually explicit materials, with particularly negative attitudes toward violent materials. Analysis of covariance showed that strength of religious conviction was a significant covariate; thus professionals with stronger religious conviction had more negative attitudes toward all five types of sexually explicit materials. When controlling for strength of religious conviction: (i) sexologists had more positive attitudes toward most types of sexually explicit materials; (ii) Czech professionals generally had more positive attitudes toward such materials than their U.S. counterparts; and (iii) there were few differences between female and male professionals in their reported attitudes. While previous literature has reported gender differences in attitudes toward sexually explicit materials, findings from this study suggest that this effect may be due to differences in religiosity among women and men, namely, that women tend to be more religious.     

Psychotherapists' personal problems and self-care patterns.

Psychotherapy practitioners (N?=?155) responded to an anonymous self-report questionnaire focused on their personal problems, their recent self-care patterns, and their attitudes toward personal therapy. The most frequently reported personal problems clustered around emotional exhaustion and fatigue, but these were concerns only among less than half of the sample. Personal therapy had been experienced by almost 90% of participants, and their average ratings of its value were very positive. Cost and accessibility were the most frequently noted concerns regarding personal therapy. These findings afford a more positive image of the personal life of the psychotherapist than has been rendered by previous surveys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitude of clinicians toward use of computers in hospital settings.

Reports describing the application of computer technology suggest that mental health professionals have a predominantly hostile attitude toward computerized information systems. This study explored the attitudes of a group of psychologists and psychiatrists toward use of computers in hospital settings. Their perception of a computer-assisted interview procedure was compared with that of a routine manual system of collecting information on children and adolescents attending a mental health service. The study also investigated the impact of the computer-assisted interview procedure on clinicians' attitudes toward the general use of computers in hospital settings. The computer-assisted interview was generally perceived favorably by clinicians, whereas the problem of resistance toward computers by mental health professionals, frequently described in anecdotal reports, was not identified in this study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Statewide adoption and initial implementation of contingency management for substance-abusing adolescents.

Four hundred thirty-two public sector therapists attended a workshop in contingency management (CM) and were interviewed monthly for the following 6 months to assess their adoption and initial implementation of CM to treat substance-abusing adolescent clients. Results showed that 58% (n = 131) of the practitioners with at least one substance-abusing adolescent client (n = 225) adopted CM. Rates of adoption varied with therapist service sector (mental health vs. substance abuse), educational background, professional experience, and attitudes toward treatment manuals and evidence-based practices. Competing clinical priorities and client resistance were most often reported as barriers to adopting CM, whereas unfavorable attitudes toward and difficulty in implementing CM were rarely cited as barriers. The fidelity of initial CM implementation among adopters was predicted by organizational characteristics as well as by several demographic, professional experience, attitudinal, and service sector characteristics. Overall, the findings support the amenability of public sector practitioners to adopt evidence-based practices and suggest that the predictors of adoption and initial implementation are complex and multifaceted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating Web-based technology into distance education for nurses in China: computer and Internet access and attitudes

To increase continuing education accessibility, nurses around the world are turning to Web-based instruction. However, for Internet education to be successful, particularly in developing countries, nurses must have access to computers and the Internet as well as positive attitudes toward this form of learning. As part of a distance education project for nurses of the Tianjin Municipality in China, a survey of nurses was conducted to examine their sources of professional knowledge as well as their computer and Internet access and attitudes. The attitudes of the nurses were generally positive, and there was evidence of rapidly increasing use of and access to computers and the Internet. This article reports the results of that survey and their implications for Web-based teaching of Chinese nurses.     

Knowledge of and interest in geropsychology among psychology trainees.

Given the increasing number of older people in the U.S. population, how well prepared are graduate students to deliver services to older adults? Do graduate students want to see older adults in clinical practice? Ninety-four psychology externs and interns were surveyed about their knowledge of and attitudes toward older people. Although trainees evidenced gaps in knowledge, they indicated interest in expanding that knowledge. They also reported favorable attitudes toward the aged and interest in practice with them. This article summarizes geropsychology resources for graduate program directors, students, and practitioners who want to expand practice to include older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computerized service delivery in clinical psychology.

Compares the attributes of human clinicians and computer models as a means of examining their compatibility in service delivery. The use of the computer in psychophysiology and biofeedback, interviewing, assessment and diagnosis, and treatment is also reviewed. Economic and ethical considerations in the use of computers, as well as technological and professional obstacles to their adoption, are discussed. Psychologists and other mental health professionals are encouraged to take a more aggressive role in developing, testing, and adopting computerized service-delivery applications. Recommendations are made regarding the need for a detailed empirical analysis of attitudes and patterns of computer use in clinical psychology. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legislation and the prediction of reported seat belt use.

Examined differences between jurisdictions with seat belt use laws and jurisdictions without such laws in the relative importance of factors that influence reported seat belt use. 2,047 Canadians, aged 16 yrs and older, were interviewed personally about their attitudes toward and use of seat belts. Multiple regression analyses performed separately for Ss in the 2 types of jurisdiction revealed that, for both groups, the major predictors of reported seat belt use (past and intended) were attitudes toward seat belt use, normative pressure from friends and family to wear belts, and favorability toward seat belt use laws. Up to 53% of the variance in reported seat belt use was accounted for by these factors and the presence of a seat belt law. Implications for public education programs to promote seat belt use are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computerized hospitals: an attraction or deterrent to recruitment in nursing?

This article describes a survey of 202 nursing recruits at an 850 bed hospital newly computerized with an Integrated Hospital Information System (IHIS). The nurses answered questions concerning their demographic characteristics, their experience with computers, their attitudes to computers and whether the fact that the hospital was computerized affected their decision to apply for employment. Results of this study suggest that the nurses' decision to apply to this setting for employment did not depend upon the factor of computerization. The majority of recruits held positive attitudes towards computers and it appeared that nurse recruits might be part of an ever increasing computer-literate population. Those having less experience with computers indicated greater anxiety. Implications for recruitment strategies and education are that while no major deterrents may exist for recruitment, new nurses with no computer experience require special attention because they may have higher levels of anxiety about computers. In orientation they may need clarification of what computers can be expected to do in a nursing environment so that they do not form unrealistic expectations. They may need to be informed as to whether a hospital is using a more general Hospital Information System which serves the needs of all departments, or a Nursing Information System which is more closely directed to the nurses' own daily work, since it is the latter which will most affect their degree of contact with computers.     

Alcohol, sexual arousal, and intentions to use condoms in young men: Applying alcohol myopia theory to risky sexual behavior.

Data from 7 studies were aggregated to examine how reported sexual arousal and alcohol intoxication interact to affect attitudes and intentions toward engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse in college-age men (N?=?358). When participants were in a sober or placebo condition, their self-reports of sexual arousal had no effect on their responses. When participants were intoxicated, however, those who felt sexually aroused reported more favorable attitudes, thoughts, and intentions toward having unprotected sex than did those who did not feel aroused. These findings support alcohol myopia theory (C. A Steele & R. A. Josephs, 1990), which states that alcohol intoxication restricts attentional capacity so that people are highly influenced by the most salient cues in their environment. It is suggested that sexual arousal is a powerful internal cue that interacts with alcohol intoxication to enhance attitudes and intentions toward risky sexual behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

To use or not to use: Clinicians' perceptions of telemental health.

Equal access to mental health services is necessary for healthy individuals and communities. However, due to geographical distances and other barriers, some clients cannot easily access mental health professionals. Technologies such as videoconferencing for clinical purposes (i.e., telemental health) may help to bridge these gaps to connect clients and clinicians at geographically diverse locations. However, despite its potential utility, telemental health has not been widely adopted in Canada. This study is an exploratory investigation into mental health professionals' attitudes toward telemental health, factors that affect the frequency with which they use this technology, and their perceptions of individual characteristics that make clients more or less suitable candidates for telemental health. This study has a particular focus on remote and rural and Operational Stress Injury (OSI) contexts. One hundred sixty mental health workers across Canada participated in an online survey, and 25 mental health workers from Operational Stress Injury clinics across Canada participated in in-person interviews. The data were examined using qualitative and quantitative analysis methods. Findings suggest that mental health workers have overall positive attitudes toward the use of telemental health—particularly for clients in remote and rural locations. Additionally, receiving training in telemental health, being in the mental health field for longer, and perceiving the technology as easy to use are associated with more frequent use of telemental health. Finally, clinicians reported specific client characteristics that they perceive to make some clients unsuitable candidates for telemental health. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two studies with the Psychiatric Rehabiliation Attitude Survey.

Evaluated the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Attitude Survey (PRAS) by the 1st author and A. Sklare-Lancaster (1981) in 2 experiments. In Exp I, reliability and validity data of the PRAS were assessed, using 37 vocational rehabilitation practitioners. Results indicate that test–retest reliability was high and that convergent and divergent validity were adequate compared with the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Exp II assessed the effect of a 4-wk field placement on the attitudes of 48 undergraduate rehabilitation psychology majors. There was a significant positive change in Ss' attitudes toward psychiatric rehabilitation, and their scores after field placement were significantly more positive than norms obtained from general-caseload rehabilitation practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Who wants the children?: Some relationships among attitudes toward children, parents, and the liberation of women.

Investigated the relationship between attitudes toward child rearing, the quality of childhood experiences, and agreement with women's liberation. A self-report measure of these variables was administered to 101 male and 117 female undergraduates and to 42 women in a continuing education program (CEWs). Results show that (a) CEWs had the most positive attitudes toward child rearing and males had the least positive; (b) no relationship was found between desire to have children and having a father who was home during most of childhood or a working mother; (c) Ss with positive attitudes toward children ranked child rearing as more creative and of more value to society and remembered more nuturant mothers and fathers; (d) males had the least favorable attitudes toward women's liberation, while CEWs had the most; (e) the most child-oriented men had more favorable attitudes toward women's liberation than males with moderately or unfavorable attitudes; and (f) proliberation women were less eager to have children, remembered less attention from their parents, and had more positive feelings toward mothers than fathers. (27 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

HIV-associated brain pathology: a comparative international study

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the use of aides in occupational therapy practice, the supervision and training of aides, and practitioners' attitudes toward the use of aides. METHOD: A questionnaire was mailed to a systematically selected sample of 510 occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. The response rate was 74%. RESULTS: The use of occupational therapy aides is prevalent in a variety of settings. Forty percent of respondents reported that they currently work with aides, whereas 23% reported that they have never worked with aides. Occupational therapy aides perform a variety of tasks and receive various levels and amounts of supervision and training. Of those respondents who delegated specific skilled tasks to aides, 76% reported daily contact for purposes of supervision and training. Nineteen percent who currently work or have worked with aides reported being in a situation where an ethical issue arose related to aide use. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the data, it is suggested that occupational therapy practitioners would benefit from taking a proactive role in determining how aides can be used to maximize service delivery while maintaining quality services. There also appear to be ethical concerns related to appropriate delegation of tasks to aides and to their supervision and training.     

Dream interpretation sessions: Who volunteers, who benefits, and what volunteer clients view as most and least helpful.

Undergraduate students (N ?=?336) completed measures of personality, cognitive functioning, and attitudes toward dreams; reported average hours of sleep and estimated dream recall; and kept a 2-week dream diary. A subset of 109 students volunteered to participate in and 65 students actually participated in, a dream interpretation session. The students who volunteered for dream interpretation had more positive attitudes toward dreams, recalled dreams more frequently, were more open and higher in absorption (capacity for restructuring one's phenomenal field), and were more often female than nonvolunteers. The volunteer clients who gained the most from dream interpretation reported fewer dreams in a 2-week dream diary. Clients reported that the most helpful aspects of dream interpretation were insight, links to waking life, and receiving another person's input. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Achievement goals in the classroom: Students' learning strategies and motivation processes.

We studied how specific motivational processes are related to the salience of mastery and performance goals in actual classroom settings. One hundred seventy-six students attending a junior high/high school for academically advanced students were randomly selected from one of their classes and responded to a questionnaire on their perceptions of the classroom goal orientation, use of effective learning strategies, task choices, attitudes, and causal attributions. Students who perceived an emphasis on mastery goals in the classroom reported using more effective strategies, preferred challenging tasks, had a more positive attitude toward the class, and had a stronger belief that success follows from one's effort. Students who perceived performance goals as salient tended to focus on their ability, evaluating their ability negatively and attributing failure to lack of ability. The pattern and strength of the findings suggest that the classroom goal orientation may facilitate the maintenance of adaptive motivation patterns when mastery goals are salient and are adopted by students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)