Frequent citations in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology during the 1970s.

Identifies authors who have been cited most frequently in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology during the 1st half-decade of the 1970s, and indicates their publications that have been cited most frequently. Most prominent are the work of J. B. Rotter on the locus of control of reinforcement and the contributions of C. B. Truax and R. R. Carkhuff to training and practice in counseling and psychotherapy. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward Improved Statistical Reporting in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Philip Kendall's (1997) editorial encouraged authors in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) to report effect sizes and clinical significance. The present authors assessed the influence of that editorial--and other American Psychological Association initiatives to improve statistical practices--by examining 239 JCCP articles published from 1993 to 2001. For analysis of variance, reporting of means and standardized effect sizes increased over that period, but the rate of effect size reporting for other types of analyses surveyed remained low. Confidence interval reporting increased little, reaching 17% in 2001. By 2001, the percentage of articles considering clinical (not only statistical) significance was 40%, compared with 36% in 1996. In a follow-up survey of JCCP authors (N=62), many expressed positive attitudes toward statistical reform. Substantially improving statistical practices may require stricter editorial policies and further guidance for authors on reporting and interpreting measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology: Contents of Volume 43, pages iii-xiii: Erratum.

Reports several errors in the Contents of Volume 43, pages iii-xiii, of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Original entries and their corrections are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Publishing in the Journal of Educational Psychology: Reflections at midstream.

Discusses editorial policy of the Journal of Educational Psychology with respect to substantive, procedural, and ethical issues. Research should make substantive contributions and conceptually integrate recent developments bearing on the topic. Procedural concerns involve terminological clarity, confounding and controlled factors, the effects of a laboratory orientation on classroom research, and the appropriateness of a statistical analysis. Ethical issues include piecemeal and duplicate publications, plagiarism, and falsification/fabrication of data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editor’s introduction: APA’s centennial year with the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

This American Psychological Association Centennial Feature celebrates the 100 year anniversary of APA as well as the 55th anniversary of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. This issue of JCCP kicks off our centennial celebration with the reproduction of two articles from the first issue of the Journal of Consulting Psychology. These two articles were originally published in 1937 and were the two lead articles of the issue. Aptly, the articles were written by the leading scholars of the day in the emerging field of clinical psychology and each respectively reflected on the past and future of the discipline. To place these articles in the context of the still evolving history of the field, each article is accompanied by a comment by an eminent, contemporary scholar. These contemporary views highlight the (not always happy) distance that we have come as a profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: A reply.

H. Tennen, J. A. Hall, and G. Affleck (see PA Vol, 31710) argued in their critique of depression research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) that investigators have failed to comply with several methodological recommendations often cited in the depression literature. They recommended resetting minimum criteria for publication of depression research in JPSP. In this article, it is asserted that Tennen and his colleagues did not consider a number of critical issues surrounding this set of methodological criteria. It is also contended that insufficient data are available to require strict adherence to several of the criteria. In light of the complexities surrounding Tennen et al.'s methodological criteria, it is concluded that JPSP's editors, reviewers, and readers would do better to evaluate studies on a case-by-case basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confidence intervals for effect sizes: Compliance and clinical significance in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology..

Objective: In 2005, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) became the first American Psychological Association (APA) journal to require statistical measures of clinical significance, plus effect sizes (ESs) and associated confidence intervals (CIs), for primary outcomes (La Greca, 2005). As this represents the single largest editorial effort to improve statistical reporting practices in any APA journal in at least a decade, in this article we investigate the efficacy of that change. Method: All intervention studies published in JCCP in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008 were reviewed. Each article was coded for method of clinical significance, type of ES, and type of associated CI, broken down by statistical test (F, t, chi-square, r/R2, and multivariate modeling). Results: By 2008, clinical significance compliance was 75% (up from 31%), with 94% of studies reporting some measure of ES (reporting improved for individual statistical tests ranging from η2 = .05 to .17, with reasonable CIs). Reporting of CIs for ESs also improved, although only to 40%. Also, the vast majority of reported CIs used approximations, which become progressively less accurate for smaller sample sizes and larger ESs (cf. Algina & Kessleman, 2003). Conclusions: Changes are near asymptote for ESs and clinical significance, but CIs lag behind. As CIs for ESs are required for primary outcomes, we show how to compute CIs for the vast majority of ESs reported in JCCP, with an example of how to use CIs for ESs as a method to assess clinical significance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial: Journal of Comparative Psychology.

Both continuity and change typically mark the changing of editors at a long-established journal with extended editorial terms. Change is inherent in any dynamic field and is independent of editorship, but editors have an influence that should be wielded in a fair, responsible, judicious, and scientifically rigorous manner, while inevitably reflecting their own perspectives and values. The Journal of Comparative Psychology will continue to publish exciting, fascinating, assessable, controversial, and well-written reports on research, be the topic traditional, interdisciplinary, applied, or one breaking risky new ground. Editorial standards must be high, but appropriate for various subfields, and as editor the author will try to make those judgments carefully. The author would also like to see more submissions of brief reports describing exciting developments as well as submissions on significant theoretical, conceptual, and methodological issues during his tenure as editor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial/ethnic minority research in the Journal of Counseling Psychology: A content analysis and methodological critique.

A content analysis was conducted of all racial/ethnic minority-focused research appearing in the Journal of Counseling Psychology over the 11-year period from 1976 to 1986. During this period 934 articles and brief reports were published, of which 53 (5.7%) had a racial/ethnic minority focus. The 53 articles were systematically reviewed for their sample characteristics and methodological considerations. The sample characteristics that were examined included ethnic groups studied, general populations sampled, and geographic breakdown of samples used. Methodological design characteristics that were investigated included general research designs incorporated, examination of within-group differences, outcome measures used, cultural sensitivity of instrumentation, acknowledgment of sample generalizability limits, and presence of conceptual or theoretical frameworks in developing research hypotheses. Data accumulated in the report were used as a base within which to examine major research methodology criticisms that have consistently appeared in recent ethnic minority literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression research methodologies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: A review and critique.

Personality and social psychological studies of depression and depressive phenomena have become more methodologically sophisticated in recent years. In response to earlier problems in this literature, investigators have formulated sound suggestions for research designs. Studies of depression published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) between 1988 and 1993 were reviewed to evaluate how well these recommendations have been followed. Forty-one articles were examined for adherence to 3 suggestions appearing consistently in the literature: (a) multiple assessment periods, (b) multiple assessment methods, and (c) appropriate comparison groups. The studies published in JPSP have not adhered well to these standards. The authors recommend resetting minimum methodological criteria for studies of depression published in the premier journal in personality and social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trends in psychotherapy process research: Samples, measures, researchers, and classic publications.

Psychotherapy studies published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) between 1978 and 1992 were examined. Differences were found between the 2 journals. JCP published mostly process, outcome, and analog research, whereas JCCP published mostly outcome research. Most process and process-outcome studies across journals were of individual, brief therapy. Across the years, more diversity was evident in samples used in process research in terms of student status, gender, and race of clients and therapists. Three content areas were prominent in the process measures and classic studies: therapist techniques, therapist influence, and facilitative conditions. Lists are provided of the frequently used measures, most productive authors, and classic studies in process research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inaugural editorial for Journal of Educational Psychology.

Discusses the editorial goals for the Journal of Educational Psychology, which include publishing articles that test models, principles, hypotheses, and claims that are grounded theoretically; and reporting new data and empirical analyses that advance psychological theory. The author also discusses the methodological approaches that he expects to see in submissions under his editorship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trends in institutional contributions to the Journal of Counseling Psychology..

Tabulated the institutional affiliation of each author for the major articles, brief reports, unsolicited comments, and contributions classified as research frontier or research methodology that appeared in Volumes 1–24 of the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP). Separate tabulations were made for most institutions, but the contributions of the following types of institutions were combined within type: community colleges, community mental health centers, correctional institutions, medical hospitals, public schools, religious organizations, and VA facilities. The data are summarized for the formative years of the journal (Volumes 1–8), the period of transition to an American Psychological Association journal (Volumes 9–26), the most recent 8-yr period (Volumes 17–24), and the 1st 24 yrs of publication. The data are also tabulated for the 4 latest volumes (21–24) to evaluate recent trends in institutional contributions. The 15 leading institutional contributors are rank ordered, and the number of contributions are reported within each time period. In addition, the impact of reassignment of credit for dissertation-related research on institutional productivity is studied. The relationship between institutional contributions to JCP and the perceived prestige of the institution is also investigated. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Journal of Family Psychology: Past, present, and future.

This issue marks the inception of my term as editor of the Journal of Family Psychology (JFP). The journal, in its 24th year, is like a young adult. It has achieved a level of professional identity, independence, and competence consistent with this developmental phase. I feel honored and privileged to be at the helm of the journal at a time at this juncture of young adulthood. As the editorial torch is passed to me, I am mindful of the significant responsibilities that have been entrusted to me. I conceptualize my role as that of mentor, guide, and catalyst of the ongoing evolution and success of JFP. The journal aims to provide a platform that supports the transmission of new scholarly discoveries in the field and I am excited about offering a structure that supports family psychology scholars in building upon our intellectual treasures and advancing our understanding about couples and families in novel and meaningful ways. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate school origins of Journal of Counseling Psychology authors: Volumes 15-28.

Examined the graduate school origins of authors of Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) articles in Volumes 15–28 to extend a previous analysis of Volumes 1–24 by the 3rd author et al (1969). Comparisons of the 2 14-yr periods reveal that some universities retained the same or similar ranks across both periods, some declined in importance as sources of authors, and others emerged as major sources of JCP authors. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subscriber perceptions of the Journal of Counseling Psychology..

Surveyed, in response to recent criticism of counseling research, 415 present and 234 past subscribers to the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) to examine articles' perceived utility, strengths, and weaknesses in relation to reader characteristics. Questionnaires also secured demographic and professional background information. Results show the following: (a) Present, compared to past, subscribers more often worked in colleges or universities, were involved in research, identified with counseling psychology, were members of the American Psychological Association's Division 17, held doctorates, were teachers or supervisors, and worked with clients aged 13–28 yrs. (b) Present subscribers used the JCP most for research and counseling ideas, and counseling psychology identification was a major reason for subscribing. (c) Strengths included research design/methodology, relevance to practice, writing quality, and scholarly rigor. (d) Weaknesses included esoteric, narrow research and lack of practical relevance. (e) About 45% of the articles read were seen as useful, but definitions of utility varied by major time-use. (f) Ultimately, utility appeared related to individual requirements; 68% of Volume 22's articles were nominated at least once as most significant or useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Species preferences of experimenters: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior..

Analyzed species preferences for 1958–1975 for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and compared them with comparable data from the Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology (1969–1972). The percentage of experiments using pigeons increased, while there was a less marked decrease in the percentage using human Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Journal of Counseling Psychology (January 1973): Errata.

Reports an error in the table of contents of the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The article "On Measuring the Vocational Interests of Women" (see record 1973-23974-001) by Nancy S. Cole (1973[Mar], 20[2], 105-112) that was listed on page 16 in the January table of contents appears in this issue of the Journal. Appearing on page 16 in the January issue, in fact, is "Instability of Therapeutic Conditions in Psychotherapy" (see record 1973-21485-001), by Alan S. Gurman (1973[Jan], 20(1), 16-24). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)