Content analysis of research in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (1973–1998).

A content analysis of the research published in the Joumal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) was conducted for a 26-year period (1973–1998). A total of 2,027 articles were classified into 14 substantive content categories. Frequency distributions were used to identify the most frequently published authors and institutional affiliations, as well as the gender and ethnic characteristics reported. The principal areas of research activity and publication in the JCP were process only, process and outcome, vocational behavior research, and the development and evaluation of tests and measures. These 4 categories accounted for 55.2% of the articles examined. Typical reported samples contained college students of both genders. This content analysis revealed that over this 26-year time span, the research reported in the JCP has remained consistent with the mission statement of the journal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Content analysis of the Journal of Counseling Psychology: Buboltz, Miller, and Williams (1999) 11 years later.

A content analysis of research published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP) was conducted for Volumes 46 (1999) through 56 (2009). The analysis involved the placement of 514 articles in 15 substantive content categories. In addition, we identified the most frequently published authors, most frequent institutional affiliations, and several reported demographic characteristics. The principal areas of research activity in the JCP were multiculturalism and/or diversity, research on development and evaluation of tests and measures, personality and adjustment, outcome research, and interpersonal and/or social support and/or attachment, with these categories accounting for 57% of the articles published. Over 40% of the samples reported were college students, with a large number of samples including both genders and indicating the ethnic breakdown. This content analysis revealed that the JCP has remained consistent with its stated mission while incorporating changes in the field in its publications. (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)     

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)     

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)     

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)     

Reasons for clinical research: Characteristics of contributors and their contributions to the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

A representative sample of contributors (333) to the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology was asked to report on their motivations for conducting studies that had been published in that journal. Results indicate that the primary motivation of these clinical researchers was to build on prior theory and research through the gathering and analysis of new data to answer socially significant applied-clinical questions. More immediate pragmatic considerations (e.g., tenure, funding, degree or job requirements, and availability of Ss) were reported to be of secondary, but nevertheless significant, importance. Most respondents described the training model in which they had received their doctoral education or oriented toward an integrated scientist-practitioner approach rather than one that focused primarily on research, therapy, or assessment training. It was also found that these clinical researchers rarely conducted investigations in the context of community service or consultation interventions or in order to replicate past research. Results are discussed in light of current controversies in clinical psychology concerning the optimal model for training and the relevance of clinical research. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A content analysis of the Journal of Counseling Psychology.

Classified articles and brief reports appearing in the 1st 19 volumes of the Journal of Counseling Psychology into 17 content categories and recorded certain methodological features from each research article. While the percentage of research articles in the journal increased, no clear trends were observed within any research category across the 19 yrs of publication. The 3 principal areas of research activity and publication were counseling outcome and process research, research on vocational behavior, and research on the development and evaluation of tests and measurements. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

The functioning Editor-Elect of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) shares some personal experiences with the Journal's readers and contributors, and asks for suggestions and comments. Preliminary guidelines for authors are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric issues in the assessment of clinical competencies.

Reviews studies that included measures of counselor or therapist competencies published between 1977 and mid-1982 in 4 journals: the Journal of Counseling Psychology, Counselor Education and Supervision, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and Journal of Clinical Psychology. There were 235 instances of measuring clinicians' competencies in 149 studies. Evidence of the reliability and validity associated with the assessment instruments was examined for each one. A majority of the measurements were ratings of counselor or therapist interpersonal competency in clinical situations. Only 43% of the measurements included reliability data computed at the time they were used, and only 12% were accompanied by any evidence of their validity. The authors describe the types of instruments used in these studies and their psychometric properties, the behaviors and constructs that were assessed, and the most frequently used instruments. The implications of inadequate psychometric rigor in clinical competency assessment research are discussed, and recommendations are made for improving the reliability and validity of clinical performance appraisal. (39 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)     

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)     

Reaction to special section on qualitative research in counseling process and outcome.

The publication of a special section of 8 qualitative studies in the Journal of Counseling Psychology marks a growing recognition of the contribution that qualitative research can make to the discipline. The researchers of the 8 studies used an adaptation of the grounded theory method as their design. The theories generated by the studies are positively evaluated with constructivist criteria. Reactions to the data collection include suggestions that intensive interviews, triangulation, and theoretical sampling may have strengthened the data sets. Response to the data analyses include recognition of the creative and rigorous manner in which the analyses were carried out. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rigor, rigor mortis, and conspiratorial views of depression research.

The authors reassert the need for methodological changes in depression research appearing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and other personality and social psychology journals. In this rejoinder the authors update their earlier literature review (H. Tennen, J. Hall, & G. Affleck; see record 1995-31710-001) and respond to the commentaries by P C. Kendall and E. C. Flannery-Schroeder (see record 1995-31700-001) and G. Weary, J. A. Edwards, and J. A. Jacobson (see record 1995-31713-001). The authors notice that G. Weary et al.'s own findings demonstrate the need to change how depression is measured and participants are assigned to experimental groups. The authors also challenge G. Weary et al.'s contention that structured interviews are limited because they require interviewer judgments, and they urge personality and social psychologists to learn more about these interviews. Finally, G. Weary et al.'s suspicion that depression research guidelines reflect professional parochialism is disputed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the mitosis of JCPP.

Addresses the concerns surrounding the division of the Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology (JCPP) into separate comparative and physiological publications. There is ample research to justify a journal of comparative psychology. The growing theoretical importance of etiological, ecological, and sociobiological approaches to behavior demands the institution and nurturance of a genuinely comparative publication within the American Psychological Association. (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)