Empirical investigation of counselor self-talk categories.

We identified categories of counselor self-talk and explored for possible dimensions that underlie the categories. The 38 counselors conducted 25-min interviews with a female client and then completed a stimulated-recall, thought-listing exercise. Trained judges categorized the resulting 768 self-talk statements into 14 categories, with approximately 61% of the statements accounted for by the four largest categories (client-focused questions, summarizations, inferences or hypotheses, and self-instructions). A multidimensional scaling analysis identified two underlying dimensions that reflect Attending and Assessing vs Information Seeking and Integrative Understanding vs Intervention Planning. The findings are discussed in terms of counselor cognitive processing and are related to previous research on counselor intentions. Suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Investigation of Group Leaders' Intentions.

Stimulated recall methods were used to assist 34 group leaders in recalling their intentions (i.e., purposes, plans, goals) in relation to interventions they made in a group session. A total of 835 intentions were reported by the leaders and were categorized into 6 separate intention categories by trained judges. The categories included directing the group, gathering information and assessing members, challenging members, attending to and validating members' experiences, directing self, and promoting connections and interactions among group members. Multidimensional scaling procedures revealed 4 intention clusters: Promoting Insight/Change, Planning and Guiding, Attending, and Assessing Growth. Limitations of the study are addressed, along with implications for future research and group leader training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of counselor self-talk and hypothesis formulation to performance level.

25 female and 15 male counselors across a range of skill levels (14 students in graduate-level counseling laboratory classes, 13 doctoral or advanced master's degree students who had completed at least 1 practicum experience, and 13 professional counselors working as therapists in community agencies) conducted 25-min counseling interviews with 1 of 4 female undergraduate clients and then completed instruments measuring the frequency of task-facilitative and task-distractive self-talk and the quality of clinical hypothesis formulation. It is hypothesized that these measures of counselor internal dialog would be predictive of counselor performance (clients' and trained raters' evaluations) once the effects of counselor gender, education level, and years of experience were accounted for. Cognitive variables were assessed, using standard multiple regression techniques, for their combined and unique contributions to the overall prediction equation. A positive relationship between higher quality clinical hypothesis formulation and higher levels of facilitative performance during counseling sessions was found. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Feedback exchange in counseling groups: An analysis of message content and receiver acceptance as a function of leader versus member delivery, session, and valence.

36 university students and 27 community residents (all Ss aged 20–47 yrs) participated in 9 6-wk personal-growth groups led by 18 advanced doctoral students. 410 items of interpersonal feedback (both leader-to-member and member-to-member) were analyzed for message content quality and recipient acceptance. Findings indicate that leader feedback was generally of higher quality than member feedback but not more readily accepted. There was a significant tendency for feedback to be of higher quality and more accepted in later than in earlier sessions, but this tendency was not consistent across other conditions. The strongest effects were for valence, with positive feedback consistently more accepted than negative. Positive feedback consistently received higher ratings of message content quality than did negative feedback. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of drinking water treatment process streams for optimal bacteriological water quality

Four pilot-scale treatment process streams (Stream 1 - Conventional treatment (coagulation/flocculation/dual media filtration); Stream 2 - Magnetic ion exchange (MIEX)/Conventional treatment; Stream 3 - MIEX/Conventional treatment/granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration; Stream 4 - Microfiltration/nanofiltration) were commissioned to compare their effectiveness in producing high quality potable water prior to disinfection. Despite receiving highly variable source water quality throughout the investigation, each stream consistently reduced colour and turbidity to below Australian Drinking Water Guideline levels, with the exception of Stream 1 which was difficult to manage due to the reactive nature of coagulation control. Of particular interest was the bacteriological quality of the treated waters where flow cytometry was shown to be the superior monitoring tool in comparison to the traditional heterotrophic plate count method. Based on removal of total and active bacteria, the treatment process streams were ranked in the order: Stream 4 (average log removal of 2.7) > Stream 2 (average log removal of 2.3) > Stream 3 (average log removal of 1.5) > Stream 1 (average log removal of 1.0). The lower removals in Stream 3 were attributed to bacteria detaching from the GAC filter. Bacterial community analysis revealed that the treatments affected the bacteria present, with the communities in streams incorporating conventional treatment clustering with each other, while the community composition of Stream 4 was very different to those of Streams 1, 2 and 3. MIEX treatment was shown to enhance removal of bacteria due to more efficient flocculation which was validated through the novel application of the photometric dispersion analyser.     

Tastes associated with products in contact with drinking water.

Over the past 9 years the Australian Water Quality Centre (AWQC) has conducted testing in accordance with Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4020--"Products for use in contact with drinking water" (1999). A test included as part of this standard is taste of water extracts. This test assesses the ability of products to impart discernible taste to drinking water using panellists trained in accordance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater--Flavour Profile Analysis 2170 B (1999). Over 1000 products from companies worldwide, have been assessed at the AWQC in accordance with AS/NZS 4020 including pipes, valves, tap fittings and numerous other products used in contact with water. The products must not impart any discernible taste to obtain compliance and be deemed suitable for use in contact with drinking water. This study compiles the products assessed and the types of tastes obtained from both chlorinated and non-chlorinated extracts. In particular the study focuses on taste associated with polyethylene pipes, coatings and valves, which in some instances have been problematic. Analysis revealed that most taste problems occur when chlorinated water has been used in extraction experiments and this is in line with consumer complaints regarding taste imparted by plumbing products. The collation of this data provides a valuable assessment for manufacturers, the water industry and consumers.     

Feedback exchange in personal growth groups: Receiver acceptance as a function of valence, session, and order of delivery.

Investigated the effects of valence, session of delivery, and order of delivery on receiver ratings of feedback credibility, desirability, impact, and helpfulness. Data were collected on member-generated feedback exchanged in the 2nd, 4th, or 6th weekly session of personal growth groups that met for 2-hr sessions; 48 19–32 yr olds participated. Results indicate that positive feedback was readily accepted regardless of the session in which it was received. Negative feedback was significantly more accepted when received in the 4th or 6th session than in the 2nd. Negative feedback was most accepted when it was preceded by positive feedback. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of teaching a cognitive strategy on counselor trainee internal dialogue and clinical hypothesis formulation.

Recent research has supported the application of cognitive-behavioral theory to the field of counselor training and supervision. The present study examined the effects of teaching counselor trainees a cognitive self-instruction strategy vs clinical hypothesis knowledge. Ss were 32 students in graduate prepracticum courses. Three training conditions and a placebo control were compared on dependent measures of Ss' internal dialog and quality of clinical hypothesis formulation. Results indicate that acquiring a cognitive self-instruction strategy increased Ss' ability to perform the conceptual portion of selected counseling tasks. However, there was no evidence that clinical hypothesis knowledge was associated with similar increases in conceptual ability. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Taste and odour testing: how valuable is training?

Correct identification of specific tastes and odours in a water supply can be a powerful tool in identifying the cause of the problem and facilitating rapid remediation. While taste and odour identification can be achieved by laboratory testing, consumer involvement is not only worthwhile as a public education exercise but can also indicate tastes and odours to which the public do not object. Interpretation of taste and odour results is a complex process. The Australian Water Quality Centre (AWQC), based in Adelaide, South Australia, has established a flavour profile panel, trained in Flavour Profile Analysis (FPA). This group was chosen to carry out a survey of tastes and odours present in selected Australian water supplies and laboratory treated water and bottled water. The waters were also assessed by a group of untrained volunteers to simulate the responses of consumers. In two series of tests there were significant differences in responses between the groups with respect to the intensity of the tastes and odours detected. In both instances the responses by the trained group were more consistent, making interpretation of results more straightforward. In the second series of tests the panellists were also asked their personal preferences. The results showed in general the preferred waters were those with minimal taste and odour and this was generally irrespective of the type of taste and odour present.     

Long term case study of MIEX pre-treatment in drinking water; understanding NOM removal

Removal of natural organic matter (NOM) is a key requirement to improve drinking water quality. This study compared the removal of NOM with, and without, the patented magnetic ion exchange process for removal of dissolved organic carbon (MIEX DOC) as a pre-treatment to microfiltration or conventional coagulation treatment over a 2 year period. A range of techniques were used to characterise the NOM of the raw and treated waters. MIEX pre-treatment produced water with lower concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and lower specific UV absorbance (SUVA). The processes incorporating MIEX also produced more consistent water quality and were less affected by changes in the concentration and character of the raw water DOC. The very hydrophobic acid fraction (VHA) was the dominant NOM component in the raw water and was best removed by MIEX pre-treatment, regardless of the raw water VHA concentration. MIEX pre-treatment also produced water with lower weight average apparent molecular weight (AMW) and with the greatest reduction in complexity and range of NOM. A strong correlation was found between the VHA content and weight average AMW confirming that the VHA fraction was a major component of the NOM for both the raw water and treated waters.