Assertiveness, territoriality, and personal space behavior as a function of group assertion training.

42 18-40 yr old females who requested services from a university counseling center were employed to examine changes in assertiveness, territoriality, and personal space as a function of group assertion training. Ss were assigned to either a treatment (assertion training) group or to a control (waiting list) group. The following outcomes were hypothesized: (a) Ss who participated in the assertion training treatment program would increase their assertive behavior significantly more than controls. (b) Treatment Ss would exhibit smaller personal space zones than would controls. (c) Treatment Ss would use more space on a drawing task than would controls. Data collected from a battery of measures, including the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, the College Self-Expression Scale, and the Assertive Behavior Situation Test, provided strong support for the 1st and 3rd hypothesis and partial support for the 2nd hypothesis. Implications of the findings for counseling and for the use of ethological constructs are discussed. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client anticipations and preferences for confidentiality of records.

116 new clients requesting services during one semester at a medium-sized university counseling center participated in a survey of preferences and anticipations about confidentiality of their client records. The survey asked Ss to rate the amount of information that they preferred and anticipated would be released by the psychotherapist under 13 request scenarios. Generally, Ss preferred less information to be released than they anticipated would be, but differences existed by scenario and recipient. Homogeneous clusters of Ss were identified who expressed unique anticipations and preferences about confidentiality. Some clusters of Ss preferred absolute confidentiality, but other clusters preferred broad release of their information. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of counselor source characteristics by premature and successful terminators.

Examined 56 premature and 148 successful terminators' perceptions of counselor source characteristics and satisfaction with counseling services at a university counseling center. S-completed measures included the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire and a counselor rating form. Results indicate that Ss who terminated prematurely were less satisfied with counseling services that they received and viewed their counselors as less expert, attractive, and trustworthy than did Ss who terminated successfully. Ss who responded anonymously to the evaluation form viewed the counselors as less attractive and trustworthy and also expressed less satisfaction with counseling than did those who did not respond anonymously. Significant though modest correlations between ratings of source characteristics and client satisfaction were also found. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Service use and mental impairment among the elderly: Arguments for consultation and education.

Compared the service use patterns of older adults with varying levels of mental impairment, and assessed the effects of services received on their mental health status over a 1-yr period. Data were obtained from a US General Accounting Office (1977, 1979) study of 531 elderly persons (mean age 76.1 yrs), which included administration of a modified version of the Older Americans Resources and Services Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Ss were interviewed twice, 1 yr apart. 174 Ss were classified as having a mild psychiatric impairment, and 118 Ss had a severe psychiatric impairment. The existence of mental impairment was related to marital status, race, and level of education. Usage of mental health services was low, although mentally impaired Ss were more likely than unimpaired Ss to use social and medical services. Results also suggest that such services can have an important effect on the mental health of older persons. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student and faculty perceptions of counseling centers: What's in a name?

Surveyed 296 university students and 115 faculty members by telephone and asked them to rank order 4 counseling center titles in terms of the likelihood that they would utilize services offered by the centers. The titles were Psychological and Career Exploration Service; Personal and Career Counseling Service; Psychological and Career Counseling Service; and Counseling, Career, and Consultation Service. Ss were also asked to indicate whether they had ever used or referred students to the university counseling service and how important the title of the agency was to them in deciding to use its services. Results indicate that the counseling center title was important to students and faculty in determining their use of a counseling center; both groups preferred the 1st title. The discussion focuses on the extent to which the present findings are consistent with and broaden understanding of help-seeking behavior and on implications for representing counseling center services. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of intake procedures upon client attrition in a community mental health center.

Assessed 2 evaluation procedures in terms of their impact upon client attrition in a community mental health center. 228 Ss received an intake evaluation and a referral for services at the center during 5 consecutive mo. The behavioral analysis report, an innovative evaluation procedure, led to more treatment contacts than a traditional evaluation method. The most significant differences between the evaluation methods were the manner of defining problems and determining treatment goals. In addition, a comparison of long-term effects of the 2 intake procedures indicated that the behavioral analysis report was associated with remaining in individual therapy more than the traditional method. The professional training of the interviewer had no effect upon client attrition. Possible effective elements within the behavioral analysis report are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Naive statics: Current misconceptions on equilibrium.

Studied common concepts regarding the equilibrium of objects in 3 experiments, using a total of 85 17–45 yr old Ss. Groups of Ss (including some experts in statics) were asked to solve problems like finding the resting position of objects suspended either by their center of gravity or at some point more or less removed from the center of gravity. Results show that, with few exceptions, Ss confused neutral equilibrium with the stable equilibrium that is assumed when the object is symmetrical with its vertical axis. This error is explained, together with the errors found in tasks in which objects were not suspended by their center of gravity, by the hypothesis that Ss conceive equilibrium as an equaling of the potential energy of gravity. The possibility that Ss' mistakes may be due to an impression of equilibrium connected to conditions of perfect symmetry is discussed, as is the hypothesis of the coexistence of naive and objective concepts in the human system of knowledge. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patient feedback on satisfaction with direct services received at a community mental health center: A partial replication.

At 8–29 mo after termination, 73 former patients at a community mental health center evaluated the services they had received. As in the author's previous study (see record 1982-28825-001), most Ss reported that therapy had been moderately or extremely helpful. The perceived degree of help received was related to perceived therapist interest in the S and to the number of therapy sessions. Most Ss rated the problem that brought them to the mental health center as being very serious, although the largest diagnostic category was "condition not attributable to mental disorder." Most Ss had not sought further treatment and did not feel that they needed it after termination. Ss returning to the center did not evaluate therapy any differently than new patients. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clients' demographic characteristics and therapeutic treatment: Differences that make a difference.

Studied the relationship between clients' demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, income, marital status, and ethnicity) and services received (diagnosis, type of treatment, type of personnel rendering services, and type of therapy and number of sessions). Ss were 1,190 White and 1,294 minority-group community mental health center clients. Client attributes were related to services rendered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of the Occupational Choice Strategy on the career development of rehabilitation clients.

Examination of the impact of an occupational choice strategy (OCS) on the career development of clients in a comprehensive rehabilitation center indicates that the 20 participants (aged 17–53 yrs) in OCS scored consistently higher than did the 20 control Ss on career decidedness, vocational identity, vocational self-awareness, vocational knowledge, and readiness for vocational planning. OCS Ss were also more likely than controls to persist in their rehabilitation programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A survey of therapists' personal problems and treatment.

642 therapists drawn from mental health centers directories, psychiatric hospital and ward staff rosters, university counseling center staff lists, and telephone directory entries in Iowa were surveyed about their personal problems. 264 of 310 returned questionnaires were used in the analysis. Ss were 25–68 yrs old; their experience was 1–34 yrs; and 195 had master's-level degrees, while 69 were doctoral-level therapists. Results show that half of Ss had experienced relationship difficulties or depression. Master's-level Ss and agency employees were more likely than were other groups to have experienced depression. A substantial proportion of Ss had been in therapy, and female Ss were more likely than males to have sought therapy for depression and relationship concerns. Many Ss, particularly those working in agencies, were reluctant to seek therapy when needed for reasons such as having had prior relationships with nearby therapists and the availability of existing personal support sources. Ss in the group were likely to have been ill during the preceding 6 mo. Agency employees, psychologists, and relatively less experienced Ss missed more work days due to illness than did other groups. (52 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Etiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Vietnam veterans: Analysis of premilitary, military, and combat exposure influences.

43 Vietnam veterans seeking psychological services at a VA medical center were assigned to positive and negative groups of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the DSM-III. The average S was a 33-yr-old White male with 13 yrs of education. Ss were extensively assessed to examine the relative contributions of premilitary adjustment, military adjustment, and extent of combat exposure to the development of combat-related, chronic PTSD. In addition, groups were compared on profiles from the MMPI and a psychological problem checklist. Results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that combat exposure and, to a lesser degree, military adjustment were significantly related to PTSD symptomatology, whereas premilitary adjustment was not. Discriminant function analyses showed that the MMPI had moderate ability to correctly classify Ss on the basis of PTSD diagnosis. However, problem checklist items indicative of anxiety-based disorders, particularly generalized anxiety and pervasive disgust, formed a discriminant function that correctly classified more than 90% of Ss. Results are discussed in terms of complications for an empirically derived conceptualization of PTSD. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive behavioral relapse prevention strategies and aftercare in alcoholism rehabilitation.

Examines the effect of aftercare on the outcome of alcoholism treatment and presents conceptual and practical similarities between the functions of aftercare services and cognitive-behavioral relapse-prevention (RP) approaches. Results of a previous study (J. R. Ito et al; see record 1989-02921-001) were examined. The study compared an RP therapy group with an interpersonal-process (IP) therapy group during the 2 mo following completion of inpatient treatment in a veterans medical center. Both interventions had similar impacts on drinking-related outcome measures. However, Ss in the RP group tended to have fewer drinking days, to be more likely to complete their contract for extended aftercare, and to show an increase in self-efficacy and a decrease in drinking-related temptation relative to those in the IP group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interrelationships among individual difference variables, behavior in psychotherapy, and verbal conditioning.

3 variables studied were S's score on personality inventory scales, therapists' rating of S's behavior in the psychotherapy situation, and Ss performance in a verbal conditioning situation. The Ss were 60 neurotic and psychotic patients, 58 of whom were men; the Autobiographical Survey was the Personality inventory. With regard to the Autobiographical Survey, high scores on the Test Anxiety and Lack of Protection scales were associated with higher levels of verbal conditioning; high Defensiveness scores with poor verbal conditioning. Patients rated by their psychotherapists as being very compliant were found to perform in the verbal conditioning at a higher level than patients rated as being relatively noncompliant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Number of assessment center dimensions as a determinant of assessor accuracy.

Undergraduates (N?=?131) were trained as assessors, who evaluated the performance of confederates in an assessment center simulation on 3, 6, or 9 dimensions. Number of dimensions significantly affected some assessment center judgments but not others. Ss who rated a small number of dimensions classified behaviors more accurately and made more accurate ratings than did Ss who rated a large number of dimensions. Number of dimensions did not affect the accuracy of assessors' observations nor the discriminant validity of their dimension ratings. Given these results and the findings of others (e.g., J. R. Hinrichs and S. Haanpera; see record 1978-20114-001), developers of assessment centers should limit the cognitive demands placed on assessors by, for example, minimizing the number of dimensions assessors are required to process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term psychosocial adjustment following very severe closed head injury.

Examined the cognitive, psychological, and social functioning of 18 community-dwelling male patients who had experienced a severe closed head injury (CHI) at least 18 mo previously and still required contact with rehabilitation services. Results from Ss with CHI were compared with those from 27 normal control Ss. Information on Ss' behavior was also obtained from their significant others. Results show that Ss with CHI exhibited deficits in their cognitive and social functioning but showed no signs of emotional or psychiatric disturbance. Attempts to find a relationship between the cognitive impairment and social functioning of Ss with CHI were partially successful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career experiences of doctors of psychology.

Surveyed 184 graduates (mean age 37 yrs) of 9 PsyD programs to determine the professional activities in which they were engaged, satisfaction with careers and graduate training in professional psychology, and public acceptance of the PsyD degree and compared the results with similar data on PhD clinicians. Most Ss were primarily engaged in direct professional services in professional settings. They were generally satisfied with their careers in professional psychology and significantly more satisfied with the graduate training they had received than were clinical psychologists trained in traditional PhD programs. More Ss reported that the PsyD degree was an advantage rather than a disadvantage when competing for jobs with candidates who had other degrees. PsyD Ss were found to be active joiners of professional associations. 91% of PsyD Ss who applied for licensure or certification encountered no difficulty due to their degree. Almost no unfavorable attitudes toward the degree were perceived among clients, employers, or colleagues. It is concluded that fears about perception of the PsyD as a second-rate credential are unfounded. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in outcomes for users and nonusers of university counseling and psychiatric services: A 5-year accountability study.

All freshmen (1,210 men and 1,210 women) enrolled in the colleges of letters and science at a large state university were tested at entrance and followed for 4 yrs to identify use of the counseling center and psychiatric service, and for 5 yrs to determine persistence in school. Counseled Ss graduated at a higher rate within 4 yrs. Use of either service was associated with a reduced rate of leaving in bad standing, i.e., having a grade point average (GPA) below 2.0. Counseled and noncounseled Ss did not differ in initial scholastic abilities, interests, or background and these variables did not explain the difference in completion rate. GPAs of counseled and noncounseled Ss who graduated were similar. The results define a potential accountability basis for these services in terms of educational outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of students who sought help and their expectations of counselors in a university dormitory and counseling center.

Compared students seeking help from counselors in university residence halls (n = 30) and in a university counseling center (n = 24) in terms of their levels of adjustment and the characteristics they expected in their counselors. As predicted, the counseling center Ss showed a poorer adjustment on 10 of the 12 counselee-relevant scales of the Adjective Check List. Contrary to the prediction, resident hall Ss rated their expected counselors as better adjusted on 6 of the 7 counselor-relevant scales. Further analyses suggest that Ss' expectancies with regard to counselors were a function of the Ss' own personal characteristics, i.e., attributive projection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment outcome as a function of follow-up difficulty in substance abusers.

Studied 150 consecutive male alcoholic and drug addict admissions to inpatient treatment at a VA medical center to determine if Ss who were more difficult to follow up also had poorer posttreatment outcomes. Of the original sample, 144 Ss were successfully followed up 6 mo from the date of admission, for an overall completion rate of 96%. Of that total, 2 were found to be deceased, leaving complete and valid information for 142 (95%). Ss were grouped according to the number of attempts necessary to complete follow-up. Comparisons on 18 measures indicated essentially no difference in the outcome status of Ss harder to follow up than those more easily contacted. Subsequent analyses of the alcoholic and drug addict samples individually yielded similar results. Further analyses indicated that the results obtained were not a function of the length of time spent in treatment or the length of time between treatment discharge and follow-up. Results are discussed in light of their importance in the interpretation of follow-up evaluations. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)