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)     

Contemporary counseling psychology: Results of a national survey.

Conducted a national survey of counseling psychologists to examine counseling psychology in its current state of development. A 6-page questionnaire, which examined such variables as demographics, professional activities, institutional affiliations, and training satisfaction, was mailed to 980 members of Division 17 (Counseling) of the American Psychological Association (APA). Of these, 716 (73%) usable questionnaires were returned. Counseling psychologists (aged 29–84 yrs) were found (a) to spend the majority of their professional time providing individual psychotherapy, (b) to be primarily eclectic in theoretical orientation, (c) to be increasingly identified with the work setting of private practice, and (d) to be generally satisfied with their graduate and internship training. Additional information about counseling psychologists' professional self-views, research and publication efforts, career satisfaction, and satisfaction with the APA was also obtained. Findings are discussed in relation to the present and future of counseling psychology. (60 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

President’s column.

Presents a discussion on various topics, including Division 13 membership; the changing format of the Division's journal, Consulting Psychology Journal; whether "consulting" might be considered as one of the proficiency skill areas to be explored by Division 13 in collaboration with the National School of Professional Psychology; and whether Division members are finding themselves expanding their professional services into consulting roles in response to the "health care revolution." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Institutional affiliations of contributors to scholarly and professional activities in counseling psychology: 1980–1983.

Used presentations at Division 17 programs of the American Psychological Association conventions, affiliations of authors of articles in the Journal of Counseling Psychology and The Counseling Psychologist, and Division 17 leaders to determine that the University of Maryland (College Park), Ohio State University, and the University of Iowa were the most highly active institutions in counseling psychology over the period 1980–1983. The size of the faculty and faculty rewards and pressures appear to be factors in determining ratings. Counseling psychologists in nonacademic settings are disadvantaged in making research contributions by these factors. Since most current counseling and clinical psychology graduate students are trained to be practitioners, it is suggested that research and professional leadership dimensions should be measured on their value to practitioners. It is further suggested that quality of supervision, knowledge of practitioner skills, and capacity to meet credentialing and/or licensing requirements should be included in evaluating graduate education in counseling psychology. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stressors of professionals and trainees at APA-approved counseling and VA medical center internship sites.

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived stress experienced by professionals and trainees during psychotherapy and supervisory activities at American Psychological Association-approved university counseling center and Veterans Administration (VA) medical center internship sites. One hundred thirty-five staff members (90 professionals, 43 interns, 2 practicum students) from fourteen VA centers and 144 staff members (79 professionals, 37 interns, 28 practicum students) from twelve university counseling centers responded to a questionnaire used to assess perceived stress. In data analysis, we compared the stress of professionals and trainees. In secondary analysis, we compared stressors of staffs at VA and counseling centers. We also investigated beliefs that contributed to the stress experienced. Results indicate that professional staff find their experiences less stressful than do interns, who find their experiences less stressful than do practicum students. Also, VA staff members reported less stress than did counseling staff. Results are compared with previous research in this area, and previous conclusions regarding the universality of stressors are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical versus counseling psychology: Is there a difference?

Compared the professional interests and employment conditions of counseling and clinical psychologists, drawing data from the American Psychological Association's Biographical Directory (1975). Ss were 50 fellows and 50 members from each of 3 divisions (12, 17, and 29). Most Ss with clinical as well as counseling division membership emphasized clinical activities. (1 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study to investigate the needs of relatives of patients on a cardiothoracic ICU, following routine cardiac surgery

The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs of relatives of patients on a cardiothoracic ICU, as perceived by themselves. An exploratory research design was used--a modified replication of a study carried out by Molter (1979) in the USA. Data were collected from a sample of convenience consisting of 14 relatives of patients who had been on a cardiothoracic ICU, following routine cardiac surgery. Subjects were presented with a list of 45 need statements, which they were asked to rank by importance, to identify whether they perceived these needs to have been met, and to determine who was involved in meeting these needs. Data were analysed by the chi-squared test. The 12 most important needs were all perceived to have been met 64.3% or more of the time. Most needs were met by nurses.     

National survey of psychologists' sexual and physical abuse history and their evaluation of training and competence in these areas.

A national survey of 250 female and 250 male clinical and counseling psychologists (return rate was 58%) showed that over two thirds (69.93%) of the women and one third (32.85%) of the men had experienced some form of physical or sexual abuse. Participants gave low ratings to their graduate training programs and internships with regard to addressing abuse issues, although more recent graduates gave higher ratings. Participants rated themselves as being moderately competent to provide services related to victims of abuse, although women perceived themselves to be more competent than men. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of client needs and counseling center staff roles and functions.

Used a national sample of 205 university and college counseling center staff members to obtain ratings of Ss' perceptions of changes in client presenting problems, changes in agency expectations with regard to 9 service-related tasks, and their comfort and skill in performing these tasks. Ratings were obtained from past and present time perspectives to aid in assessing perceived changes in these areas. Results indicate that Ss perceived client problems to be changing from more informational/educational to more serious emotional/behavioral problem areas. At the same time, staff members across all experience levels reported an increased pressure to perform in 7 of the 9 tasks listed. Staff members generally rated themselves as able to meet current service demands. Implications for counseling training programs indicate that an emphasis on acquiring traditional therapy and assessment skills may become increasingly important and that opportunities for specialty training should be expanded. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions: George D. Goldman.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979, Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, public service, and professional practice. For "Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice," a 1988 recipient is George D. Goldman. Goldman is cited for having contributed to the field of psychology in many ways. He has helped shaped the image of psychologists and psychoanalysts in this country by being one of the founders and leaders of both the Adelphi University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and also the Division of Psychoanalysis. His Presidencies of APA Divisions 39 and 42 and the New York Society of Clinical Psychologists epitomized his leadership role in the profession. In addition to the citation, a biography and selected bibliography of his works are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory for content and source in temporal lobe patients.

Left and right temporal lobectomy patients and normal controls were tested in a memory task for which the to-be-remembered items were simple actions involving small objects. Participants either performed the actions, perceived the experimenter performing the actions, or imagined themselves performing the actions. The patients were deficient relative to the controls at remembering the actions and at remembering whether the actions were performed, perceived, or imagined. These results are interpreted as suggesting that the temporal lobes are involved in memory for the source as well as the content of past experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When perception is more than reality: The effects of perceived versus actual resource depletion on self-regulatory behavior.

Considerable research demonstrates that the depletion of self-regulatory resources impairs performance on subsequent tasks that demand these resources. The current research sought to assess the impact of perceived resource depletion on subsequent task performance at both high and low levels of actual depletion. The authors manipulated perceived resource depletion by having participants 1st complete a depleting or nondepleting task before being presented with feedback that did or did not provide a situational attribution for their internal state. Participants then persisted at a problem-solving task (Experiments 1–2), completed an attention-regulation task (Experiment 3), or responded to a persuasive message (Experiment 4). The findings consistently demonstrated that individuals who perceived themselves as less (vs. more) depleted, whether high or low in actual depletion, were more successful at subsequent self-regulation. Thus, perceived regulatory depletion can impact subsequent task performance—and this impact can be independent of one’s actual state of depletion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implementing individualized counseling programs: Staff perceptions of important activities.

Staff perceptions of activities that may facilitate implementation of individualized counseling programs (ICPs) were surveyed. The activities are named Discussing the ICP, Understanding Concerns, Reinforcing Others' Contributions, Adapting the ICP, Building Positive Expectations, Learning About Obstacles, and Evaluating Implementation and Outcomes (DURABLE). Ninety staff members at a residential facility providing short-term counseling services for children and adolescents with behavior problems were asked to (a) rate the relative importance of each DURABLE activity for facilitating ICP implementation, (b) rate their involvement in each activity, and (c) list any additional activities believed to be important in facilitating ICP implementation. Each DURABLE activity was perceived by respondents to be more than moderately important in facilitating ICP implementation. Of the seven DURABLE activities, Discussing the ICP was perceived to be most important, whereas Building Positive Expectations and Reinforcing Others' Contributions were rated as least important. Two other activities also reported as important in facilitating ICP implementation were (a) developing and maintaining effective communication among staff members, and (b) involving the child in ICP development and implementation. Implications of the results for practitioners and directions for research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

President’s column.

This column describes the transformation of the Division of Consulting Psychology. Due to a membership decline, Division 13 reinvented itself in a remarkable turnaround using organizational psychotechnology developed in large part by its constituency. Since that time, the Catalyst Division has enabled more members of the American Psychological Association to transform themselves into professional, psychological consultants than at any other time in APA history. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial.

The Journal of Counseling Psychology, like other journals published by the American Psychological Association, is an aid to psychologists attempting to meet their responsibility for continuing scientific and professional education. Journals not only constitute the archives of our sciences, they provide immediate communication and facilitate, perhaps lubricate, the intricate processes of the scientific enterprise. The purpose of this editorial, however, is not to elaborate on the functions of this journal. Rather, the purpose is to call to the attention of our readers and to emphasize the importance of another medium for maintaining individual and organizational scientific and professional vitality. This medium consists of membership in and support of our scientific and professional associations. Readers and subscribers are urged to support actively and enthusiastically the Division of Counseling Psychology, Division 17 of the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scientist–practitioner activities among psychologists of behavioral and nonbehavioral orientations.

268 members of the American Psychological Association's Division of Clinical Psychology returned questionnaires (out of 500 sent) assessing professional activities. Both university and nonuniversity behaviorists as compared with nonbehaviorists in these same settings were more active with regard to (a) journal publications, (b) published chapters/books, and (c) formal papers/symposia/colloquia presentations. University nonbehaviorists, however, provided more clinical supervision, and nonuniversity nonbehaviorists engaged in considerably more direct client contact than did those of a behavioral orientation in these settings. Results are discussed with regard to scientist–professional activities and training in behavior modification. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical orientations and work settings of clinical and counseling psychologists: A current perspective.

Questionnaires returned by 387 American Psychological Association Division 12 (Clinical) and Division 17 (Counseling) members were analyzed in terms of the theoretical orientations and work settings of the respondents. Comparisons by division affiliation and age were made. Overall, more than three fourths of the sample drew from at least two theoretical orientations, and more than half of the respondents reported at least two work settings. Clinical psychologists seem to be undergoing a shift in terms of preferred theoretical orientation; younger members heavily preferred behavioral approaches, whereas older members preferred psychodynamic approaches. Younger counseling psychologists, meanwhile, appeared to be more interested in private practice than did their older colleagues, who tended to prefer academic and agency settings. These findings suggest that clinical and counseling psychology are dissimilar enough to argue against merger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unethical intimacy: A survey of sexual contact and advances between psychology educators and female graduate students.

Surveyed 464 female members of Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) of the American Psychological Association to examine (a) their experiences, during graduate training, of sexual intimacy with and sexual advances from psychology educators and (b) their past and current perceptions and evaluations of these experiences in terms of coercion, ethicality, and impact on the professional working relationship. Results indicate that sexual contact was prevalent overall (17%), among recent doctoral recipients (22%), and among Ss divorcing or separating during graduate training (34%). On the average, evaluations at the time of contact were neutral, but current opinions were more negative; many currently perceived the contact as exploitive and harmful. Sexual advances were reported by 31% and were judged by most to be overwhelmingly negative. Almost all respondents judged sexual contact between an educator and a student during a working relationship as unethical. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of self-generated facial expressions on mood.

Two experiments were conducted in which participants looked at photographs (Experiment 1, n?=?129) or slides (Experiment 2, n?=?90) of people engaging in positive or negative facial expressions. Participants attempted to communicate these facial expressions as accurately as they could to a video camera while viewing themselves in a mirror or without viewing themselves in a mirror. Participants in a control group maintained neutral facial expressions. Participants experienced increased positive moods when they engaged in positive facial expressions and decreased positive moods when they engaged in negative facial expressions. These effects were enhanced when participants viewed themselves in a mirror. The effects of facial expressions on positive affect were stronger for participants with high private self-consciousness. Results were integrated with research identifying individuals who are responsive to self-produced versus situational cues and with theory and research on self-awareness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of objective evidence of expertness and nonverbal behavior on client-perceived expertness.

Studied the effects of objective evidence of specialized training and expert nonverbal behaviors in a videotaped counseling analog setting. 80 female undergraduates viewed videotapes of a standardized counseling interaction between a professional counselor and a confederate client and then rated the counselor on a credibility checklist. Results of the 2-factor ANOVA indicate that each manipulation significantly affected perceived expertness. The expert nonverbal behavior had the greater effect on Ss' perceptions, and there was no interaction on effects. Implications for counseling practice and research are discussed. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)