Research training in counseling psychology: Some preliminary data.

Surveyed 35 current students (aged 21–40 yrs) and 34 PhD graduates (aged 28–52 yrs) from a graduate program in counseling psychology to assess (a) whether attitudes toward research changed during and after graduate school and (b) what activities/factors within graduate training affect research skill and interest. Using a combination of current and retrospective reports, it was found that although Ss at all levels perceived their training program's expectations for research as greater than students' own wants, students' interest in research (doing and valuing) increased as they progressed through training and afterwards. Three factors within graduate training that facilitate interest and skill in research are hypothesized: (1) social/interpersonal interaction; (2) training in applied, practical, and less traditional approaches to research; and (3) early, active involvement in research. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of college counseling: A follow-up study.

Conducted a longitudinal study of 100 college students who had sought counseling and 100 who had not, 7 yrs subsequent to an earlier study and 4 yrs after graduation (or the time when graduation would have been expected). Results indicate that several differences between the 2 groups in the original study were largely attenuated with the passage of time. Ss who had sought counseling had significantly improved their former status on several measures. Implications are made concerning both student development research and the impact of counseling. (28 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)     

Effectiveness of study counseling and desensitization in alleviating test anxiety: A two-year follow-up.

Asked 46 participants in a program comparing study counseling and desensitization for reducing test anxiety to evaluate the effects of each procedure 2 yrs after termination of treatment. Ss who had been assigned to active psychotherapeutic conditions (including a placebo) maintained positive attitudes toward their respective treatments. A significantly larger proportion of Ss in the treatment groups showed individually significant improvement in grades during the 1st follow-up semester. Ss in both the treatment and control conditions achieved significantly better grades and reduced self-reported anxiety by semester of graduation, obscuring treatment effects reported originally. Results suggest that the deleterious effects of test anxiety may be alleviated by entry into courses which minimize formal test evaluations and by the easing of general grading standards which has occurred over the past several years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's recognition of rights violations in counseling.

Evaluated the capacity of children and adolescents to comprehend and protect their rights in a mental health setting in 60 male Ss. 20 Ss at each of 3 age levels (8.2–9.7 yrs, 15.2–16.0 yrs, and 20.4–23.1 yrs) were explained 6 rights—refusal of treatment, knowing the reason for refusal, withholding information from counselors, refusal to allow videotaping of a treatment session, confidentiality, and the right of access to records—and then asked to view videotapes in which these rights were violated. Results show that, for 9-yr-old Ss, the experimental effect of providing information about rights was minimal; both experimental Ss and noninformed controls demonstrated low scores on measures of recognition of rights violation and protection of rights. At ages 15 and 21, experimental Ss demonstrated significantly higher scores on both measures than did control Ss. There was no significant difference in the experimental effect between the 15- and 21-yr-old Ss, which suggests that by age 15, the average adolescent is fully capable of comprehending and exercising his or her rights. Guidelines are proposed regarding the provision of information about rights to minors who receive mental health services. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Waiting list dropouts in a university counseling center.

Surveyed 59 clients at a university counseling center who had been placed on a waiting list and subsequently decided not to renew their request for counseling. Ss were asked why they did not renew their request and whether they were still interested in counseling. Responses were analyzed in terms of type of problem, time on the waiting list, and degree of urgency. Most Ss did not report negative reactions or effects from their placement on the waiting list, although Ss in the highest urgency category tended to report that the wait was too long. 30 Ss stated that the intake interview was enough or that the problem had been resolved, while 23 were still interested in counseling. It is suggested that (1) high-urgency clients should be given priority at university counseling centers, (2) directive crisis-intervention approaches can be used to resolve issues at intake sessions, (3) assessment should identify clients whose motivation for counseling is related to developmental issues that need to be dealt with immediately, and (4) alternative treatments such as groups or workshops should be made available to waiting-list clients. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in counseling skills during graduate and undergraduate study.

Compared 13 graduate students in a 1-yr counseling psychology program with 13 psychology undergraduates. 20-min counseling sessions were held on a pre- and postacademic year basis, and counselor verbal responses were analyzed using the C. E. Hill et al (1981) counselor verbal response category system. Undergraduate and graduate Ss both decreased their use of minimal encouragers and increased their information responses, closed questions, and restatements. Graduate-trained Ss used more open questions and more confrontations and tended to use fewer interpretations than did undergraduates when postinterview responses were compared with preinterview responses. Undergraduates increasingly used other responses, whereas graduates virtually eliminated these irrelevant responses from their postyear verbal behavior. In addition to changes in verbal behavior, graduates increased their inner-directedness and self-acceptance as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An occupational analysis of counseling psychology: How special is the specialty?

Conducted an occupational analysis of counseling psychology to determine the work that counseling psychologists do, their feelings toward their work, and their perceptions of how the field is changing. Questionnaire responses of 351 counseling psychologists (aged 28–86 yrs) were evaluated and compared in terms of demographic and work behavior information. Results indicate that Ss were, in general, strongly practice oriented and appeared to see themselves as engaged in psychotherapy and traditionally clinical activities with a reduced emphasis on academic and research-focused behaviors. This finding was particularly true of the younger respondents. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the counseling–clinical distinction and the scientist–practitioner model. It is concluded that counseling psychology appears to be an increasingly applied specialty and that vocational/career counseling appears to be eroding as the foundation of the discipline. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of causal attributions in counseling shy subjects.

Investigated effects of differing counselor causal attribution frameworks in an analog study designed to simulate the initial phases of counseling. 36 self-referred, shy Ss (24 males, 12 females 18–44 yrs old; university graduates, undergraduates, and staff) participated in 2 structured 50-min counseling sessions. Two attribution treatments (cognitive/behavioral and analytic) were used along with a counseling control treatment that did not convey a theoretical or causal framework. It was hypothesized that the 2 causal treatments, despite vastly differing views as to the locus and stability of the source of the S's problem, would not differ significantly in effectiveness and would both be superior to the control treatment. Selected outcome measures were conceptually related to attribution theory and were in the areas of expectancy, motivation, helpfulness, and utilization of counseling material. Significant results, favoring the attribution treatments, were found on 3 out of 4 of the expectancy and motivation measures and on 2 out of 3 of the helpfulness and utilization measures. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concurrent validity of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory for graduate students in counseling.

Examined the vocational interests of 114 graduate counseling psychology trainees and the concurrent validity of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII) for this group. Ss were administered the SCII, and a subgroup of 43 Ss completed a questionnaire assessing satisfaction with their graduate program, interests in various types of coursework, and preferences for future professional employment. Results generally support the concurrent validity of the SCII in a group of counseling trainees but also indicate differences in the ordering of SCII Holland themes in this group vs psychologists in general. Relationships between certain SCII scores and Ss' preferences concerning coursework and future employment were found. Implications of the findings for both the training and the employment of counseling psychology trainees are discussed. (25 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)     

Personality correlates of voluntary midcareer change in enterprising occupations.

Compared the personality traits of 45 midcareer changers (mean age 35.5 yrs) with those of 66 vocationally stable controls (mean age 35.4 yrs). Career-change Ss were participants in a career counseling program, while the controls were participants in a selection/promotion assessment program in the same counseling center. All Ss were male and in management and sales occupations (Holland's enterprising type). Personality measures used were the EPPS, the Gordon Personal Profile, and the Gordon Personal Inventory. Discriminant analyses showed an overall significant difference in personality structure between the 2 groups. The traits contributing mostly to this difference were ascendancy, dominance, responsibility, endurance, and order. Midcareer changers were lower on all 5 traits. Results indicate that midcareer change is related to personality incongruity, thus supporting J. L. Holland's (1973) theory of vocational choice and stability. Results also suggest that lower task discipline may be associated with career change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of users of counseling centers and psychiatric services on a college campus.

Administered the School and College Ability Test, Omnibus Personality Inventory, and SVIB to 1,761 male and 1,292 female incoming university freshmen. After Ss graduated 4 yrs later, university mental health service records were examined to determine the characteristics, by sex, of Ss who had contacted the counseling center only, the psychiatric service only, both, or neither. Despite attrition during this period, approximately 1/3 of the Ss were users, with proportionally more females than males. In terms of characteristics measured at entrance, all 4 groups differed on the 3 instruments employed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mexican-American cultural commitment, preference for counselor ethnicity, and willingness to use counseling.

Mexican-American college students who expressed a strong commitment to the Mexican-American culture (28 Ss), strong commitment to the Anglo-American culture (18 Ss), strong commitment to both cultures (38 Ss), or weak commitment to both cultures (14 Ss) rated their preference for an ethnically similar counselor and completed a willingness to use professional counseling survey. Results show that preference for counselor ethnicity and willingness to self-disclose in counseling were related to cultural commitment. Ss with a strong commitment to the Mexican-American culture expressed the greatest preference for an ethnically similar counselor and the least willingness to self-disclose. The 51 females expressed a greater willingness to use professional counseling services than did males. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multimodal treatment package for substance abuse treatment programs.

Describes a multimodal treatment design for a short-term, residential, hospital-based program for drug abusers. Each patient is expected to attend all program services with the intent that one or several will provide the corrective emotional experience facilitating change. Services included medical care, individual counseling/psychotherapy, group counseling, health education seminars, milieu/recreational therapy, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, linkage with aftercare components, and ancillary services (vocational rehabilitation, court liaison, and 90-day follow-up). Psychology interns and students are utilized. Results of internal follow-up show that 40% of Ss admitted over 3 yrs stated they were drug-free at 90 days and 1.5 yrs. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social comparison information and judgments about depression and seeking counseling.

Examined the effects of social comparison information, and the interaction of this information with symptom severity and sex, on 40 male and 40 female undergraduates' evaluations of depression symptoms and their willingness to seek counseling. Ss were administered the Depression Adjective Checklist—Form E (DACL—E) and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help Scale, as well as ratings of willingness to seek counseling and manipulation checks. A significant main effect was found on DACL—E scores for social comparison information. Ss who received serious social comparison information reported the highest depression scores. In addition, a significant interaction was found between social comparison information and sex of S in DACL—E scores. A significant main effect was also found on Ss' ratings of willingness to seek counseling for social comparison information and sex of S. Ss were more willing to seek counseling help when the social comparison information was serious. Also, female Ss were more willing to seek counseling than were male Ss. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and application of a measure of students' college experiences.

Describes the College Experience Inventory (CEI), developed by the authors to assess student experiences during college. The CEI was administered to 743 university seniors at the end of their college careers. Analyses of the Ss' responses resulted in 12 CEI factors that were found to be significantly related to life-history data collected 4 yrs prior to the administration of the CEI. Subgroups of Ss based on life history were meaningfully differentiated by the CEI. Longitudinal patterns of experiences (paths) followed by Ss through their 4 yrs of college could be identified. Ss who selected one path to the exclusion of others were found to differ on selected academic criteria. Results indicate that the CEI has potential for use in student counseling and university placement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)