Content analysis and methodological critique of articles concerning lesbian and gay male issues in counseling journals.

Examined research of lesbian and gay male issues in counseling psychology journals. Of the 6,661 studies reviewed from 6 major counseling psychology journals over a 12-yr period, 43 (.65%) focused on variables related to lesbian or gay male sexual orientation. The content of the articles demonstrates a perspective of gay male and lesbian acceptance or affirmation. Study samples were composed mostly of university-affiliated, White, East-coast, urban persons. Sexual orientation of study participants was more often assumed than directly ascertained by self-report. The results of content analyses, a methodological critique of the empirical studies, and 12 recommendations for conducting research on issues concerning lesbian women and gay men are presented and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Working with multiracial clients in therapy: Bridging theory, research, and practice.

The growing multiracial population has resulted in a need for professional psychologists to become knowledgeable about unique identity issues that may influence therapy with multiracial clients. The overarching goal of this article is to provide clinicians with current theory and research, as well as particular therapeutic strategies that will be useful in their work with multiracial clients. Specifically, this article (a) provides a brief review of some prevalent models of multiracial identity; (b) discusses several common themes derived from theory and research about multiracial identity, which should be taken into account when working with this population; and (c) offers some specific techniques and strategies that may be used in therapy to develop more accurate conceptualizations of multiracial clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Content analysis of acculturation research in counseling and counseling psychology: A 22-year review.

The authors conducted a 22-year (1988–2009) content analysis of quantitative empirical research that included acculturation and/or enculturation as a study variable(s). A total of 138 studies in 134 articles were systematically evaluated from 5 major American Psychological Association and American Counseling Association journals in counseling and counseling psychology, including Journal of Counseling Psychology, The Counseling Psychologist, Journal of Counseling and Development, Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. To guide the analysis, the authors conceptualized acculturation/enculturation as a “bilinear” (i.e., developing cultural orientations to both majority and ethnic cultures) and “multidimensional” (i.e., across multiple areas such as behaviors, values, identity, and knowledge) cultural socialization process that occurs in interaction with “social contexts” (e.g., home, school, work, West Coast, Midwest). Findings include the patterns and trends of acculturation/enculturation research in (a) conceptualization and use of acculturation/enculturation variable(s), (b) research designs (e.g., sample characteristics, instruments, data collection, and analysis methods), (c) content areas, and (d) changes in total publications and trends over time. Additionally, meta-analyses were conducted on the relationship of acculturation/enculturation and a few key variables of mental health, adjustment, and well-being. Major findings and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenges and resilience in the lives of urban, multiracial adults: An instrument development study.

Multiracial Americans represent a rapidly growing population (Shih & Sanchez, 2009); however, very little is known about the types of challenges and resilience experienced by these individuals. To date, few psychological measures have been created specifically to investigate the experiences of multiracial people. This article describes 2 studies focused on the development and psychometric properties of the Multiracial Challenges and Resilience Scale (MCRS). The MCRS was developed using a nationwide Internet sample of urban, multiracial adults. Exploratory factor analyses revealed 4 Challenge factors (Others' Surprise and Disbelief Regarding Racial Heritage, Lack of Family Acceptance, Multiracial Discrimination, and Challenges With Racial Identity) and 2 Resilience factors (Appreciation of Human Differences and Multiracial Pride). A confirmatory factor analysis with data from a second sample provided support for the stability of this factor structure. The reliability and validity of the measure, implications of these findings, and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Men's issues in doctoral training: A survey of counseling psychology programs.

The study of men and masculinity is an important clinical competency that needs to be integrated into psychology training. The extent to which the psychology of men has been integrated into applied psychology training programs is unclear. Using counseling psychology as an example of one discipline's integration, the authors examined current training in the psychology of men. One hundred 60 faculty members participated in this study. Results suggest that training practices in the psychology of men are limited in counseling psychology doctoral training programs; faculty interest in the psychology of men was positive, and faculty members viewed psychology of men as an important area of research and training in counseling psychology; and approximately 80% of the participants regard the psychology of men as a multicultural issue. A case vignette illustrates implications for training and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contemporary issues in counseling psychology: A selected review.

As a psychology specialty, counseling psychology has confronted and dealt with many issues since its inception. Currently, a number of highly challenging issues continue to confront counseling psychology. In this article I provide a selected review of contemporary issues affecting counseling psychology. In my review I supplement previous issue publications by drawing on recent developments emerging in counseling psychology over the past several years. The three areas reviewed are (a) changing work settings and work roles, (b) identity issues, and (c) educational and training issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spirituality and religion in group counseling: A literature review with practice guidelines.

There has been increased discussion of the need to attend to clients' spirituality and religion as a part of the counseling process, but much of the literature to date has focused on individual counseling. How do the research and resulting practice implications apply to group counseling? This article provides a rationale for attending to spirituality and religion in counseling, explores the opportunities and barriers in attending to spirituality and religion in group counseling, and reviews the literature on the growing number of group interventions with a spiritual or religious focus. The article ends with specific guidelines for when and how to incorporate spirituality and religion into group counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergence: A phenomenon in counseling and in psychotherapy.

"As originally used… 'convergence' referred to a lessening of discrepancy in judgments made by pairs (or larger groups) of subjects." It is anticipated that "in the therapeutic interaction itself a dependent event of convergence analogous to that of convergence in judgment-making… shifts in degree toward norms and standards made available to him by the therapist" will be found on the part of the client. "Indeed, in examining others' systematic discussions of the therapeutic process and their supporting evidence, we are struck more by the relevance and potential utility of the convergence postulate than by its spanking newness." The convergence postulate "affords meaningfulness and focus to the making of a social-structural analysis of the therapeutic process." Research "on therapeutic convergence may help make clear in what ways therapy, as a social event, may differ from other diadic relationships in everyday life." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A volume-year check list of psychological journals.

"A volume-year check list for 125 of the major psychological journals has been compiled by the writers. The data are presented in tabular form, providing information regarding the volumes published through 1954 under a journal title and the year in which each volume appeared. Thus, with either volume number or date known to the user, the other figure can be determined from the table. Also included in the list are indications of the title changes, dates of cessation, and periods of suspended publication." Mimeographed copies of the check list are available from the Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special section on racial and ethnic identity in counseling psychology: Conceptual and methodological challenges and proposed solutions.

Racial and ethnic identity development have been important topics in counseling psychology research for the last four decades. At present, however, there appears to be some confusion and debate regarding the quality of theory and measurement in the topical area. The present article serves as an introduction to this Journal of Counseling Psychology special section on "Racial and Ethnic Identity in Counseling Psychology: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges and Proposed Solutions." A rationale is provided for the special section, the place of racial and ethnic identity scholarship is located within the history of multicultural counseling research, and the invited special section contributions by K. O. Cokley (2007), J. E. Helms (2007), J. E. Trimble (2007), S. M. Quintana (2007), J. S. Phinney and A. D. Ong (2007), and J. G. Ponterotto and J. Park-Taylor (2007) are introduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does ethnicity explain functioning in group counseling? The case of Arab and Jewish counseling trainees in Israel.

This study compared the functioning in group counseling of two ethnic groups--Arab and Jews in Israel. All participants were counseling trainees in a university program, led by one group leader. Variables included self-disclosure, goals for therapy, client behavior, and therapeutic factors, measured repeatedly (at least twice), either through questionnaires or through analyses of transcribed sessions. Statistical analyses were performed by means of a hierarchical model (mixed), with the individual nested within the small group and the ethnic cohort. In contrast to our expectations, results indicated more similarities than differences between the two cohorts. Moreover, Arab trainees intended to disclose more in group and actually did (based on a questionnaire) compared with their Jewish counterparts. On the Client Behavior Scale (C. E. Hill & K. O'Brien, 1999) there were a few differences revealed: Arab trainees displayed more simple responses, more cognitive exploration, and less resistance, insight, and therapeutic change. Two differences were revealed also on the therapeutic factors. The discussion cautions against unnecessary modifications made in interventions with different cultural groups in counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on the training of clinical and counseling psychologists.

"In June of 1958, letters were sent to the department chairmen of the 24 institutions approved by the APA Education and Training Board to train PhD psychologists in both the clinical and counseling specialties… . One-third of the 24 institutions are known to differentiate definitely in course requirements between the two specialties, while only one-eight are known to differentiate definitely in the preliminary examinations used for the two specialties… . Only three of the institutions definitely differentiate between the specialties in terms of both course requirements and preliminary examinations… . it seems obvious that little differentiation is being made between the two specialties in our major training institutions even though these institutions are approved to train for each of the specialties." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Appraisal of published reviews of research on psychotherapy and counseling with adults 1990-1998.

Reviews and meta-analyses of research on adult psychotherapy and counseling with adults published in English from 1990 to 1998 (N = 255) were rated according to the criteria advanced by A. D. Oxman and G. H. Guyart (1988). A majority of the reviews fell substantially short of these basic standards; on average, review articles met only half of the 8 criteria, and only 20% met 7 or more of the criteria. Common deficiencies included failure to describe comprehensive search methods used to locate studies: failure to explain inclusion and exclusion criteria for studies; and failure to provide reliable, unbiased assessments of the studies reviewed. The reviews showed no tendency to improve over the period studied. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Arab and Israeli counseling trainees: A comparison of ethnically homogeneous and heterogeneous groups.

The study compared Arab and Jewish trainees in ethnically homogeneous and heterogeneous groups, in 1 counselor training program in Israel. The 60 participants were divided into 4 conditions: Jewish trainees in homogeneous and heterogeneous groups (n=15 in each), and Arab trainees in homogeneous and heterogeneous groups (n=15 in each). Functioning in the group was measured through group climate (engagement, conflict, and avoidance), group intimacy, self-disclosure, and regret of disclosure. Results indicated cultural differences only on self-disclosure, with Arabs scoring lower than Jews on several dimensions. Group composition differences were mainly indicated on the climate measure, with higher scores in the heterogeneous group on conflict and avoidance, and lower scores on regret of feeling exposure. Culture-by-group interactions were found for engagement, self-disclosure, and regret after disclosure about self, with Arabs in heterogeneous groups scoring higher on the first 2 and lower on the third. These results recommend placing Arab trainees in heterogeneous groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some characteristics of journals and authors.

Some characteristics of authors in 10 American Psychological Association journals and 9 other selected psychological journals are presented in a table. The "number of authors who are not affiliated with the APA is rather surprising although many of these may be students. The total proportion of non-APA members for the APA journals is .23 and for the others .28." Approximately "one-quarter to one-third of the authors throughout have no divisional affiliation… . All of the journals studied contained authors who were members of the Psychonomic Society. The APA journal with the highest proportion in this group was Psychological Review," and the next highest was the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Slightly more than ? of the articles are by individual authors and about ? are by 2 authors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Describing and facilitating effective supervision behavior in counseling trainees.

Counseling trainees often do not receive formal assistance in assuming the role of supervisee. What constitutes effective trainee behavior within the context of supervision, as opposed to the clinical context, also has received little empirical attention. A national sample of 176 participants (145 supervisees, 31 supervisors) affiliated with counseling psychology or counseling center internship programs rated the importance of 52 behaviors/characteristics (Supervision Utilization Rating Form; SURF) to the effective use of supervision at specific developmental training levels. Supervisors and supervisees applied ratings from important to extremely important to all items. Statistically significant differences between supervisor and supervisee ratings were noted on 6 items. The development of the SURF and its potential uses in supervisee role induction are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comprehensive review of effect size reporting and interpreting practices in academic journals in education and psychology.

Null hypothesis significance testing has dominated quantitative research in education and psychology. However, the statistical significance of a test as indicated by a p-value does not speak to the practical significance of the study. Thus, reporting effect size to supplement p-value is highly recommended by scholars, journal editors, and academic associations. As a measure of practical significance, effect size quantifies the size of mean differences or strength of associations and directly answers the research questions. Furthermore, a comparison of effect sizes across studies facilitates meta-analytic assessment of the effect size and accumulation of knowledge. In the current comprehensive review, we investigated the most recent effect size reporting and interpreting practices in 1,243 articles published in 14 academic journals from 2005 to 2007. Overall, 49% of the articles reported effect size—57% of which interpreted effect size. As an empirical study for the sake of good research methodology in education and psychology, in the present study we provide an illustrative example of reporting and interpreting effect size in a published study. Furthermore, a 7-step guideline for quantitative researchers is also summarized along with some recommended resources on how to understand and interpret effect size. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special sections: Race/ethnicity in counseling process and outcome and measuring session outcome in counseling and psychotherapy.

This article introduces the first in a series of special sections in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The first special section is on multicultural counseling, which has been of major concern to counseling psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctoral training programs in clinical psychology and in counseling psychology.

A list of the APA approved training programs in clinical and counseling psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)