Practicum Supervision Roles: Effects on Supervisee Statements

The practicum supervision model evaluated in this study utilized the three commonly accepted supervision roles of teacher, counselor, and consultant as methods of addressing specific supervisee issues. Supervisors performed the roles in structured supervision sessions, and supervisee statements were analyzed to determine if use of the roles influenced supervisee behaviors. Utilization of the roles was found to be a significantly effective means of influencing the content of supervisee verbalizations during practicum supervision sessions.     

Preparing Counselors for Work with Older People

Several indicators suggest that older persons have been accepted as one of the special populations in U.S. society with whom counselors may appropriately work and for whom counselors need special preparation. Various approaches to providing such preparation are identified, including the integrated, separate course, concentration, and interdisciplinary models. Advantages and limitations of each model are discussed. The basic competencies described in the Accreditation Manual of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (1982) are proposed as an appropriate guide for the content of gerontological counseling curricula. Examples of how gerontological counseling topics can relate to the basic competencies are provided.     

A STUDY OF SPEEDEDNESS AS A SOURCE OF TEST BIAS1

Specially constructed “speeded” and “unspeeded” forms of a Reading Comprehension test were administered to both regular center and fee-free center LSAT candidates in an effort to determine: (1) if the test was more speeded for fee-free candidates, and (2) if reducing the amount of speededness was more beneficial to fee-free candidates. Results of the analyses show: (1) the test is somewhat more speeded for fee-free candidates than for regular candidates, (2) reducing the amount of speededness produces higher scores for both regular and fee-free center candidates, and (3) reducing speededness is not significantly more beneficial (in terms of increasing the number of items answered correctly) to fee-free than to regular center candidates. Lower KR-20 reliability was observed under speeded conditions in the fee-free sample.     

Self-Instructional Versus Traditional Training for Teaching Basic Counseling Skills

Three studies revealed that self-instructional and traditional training were equally effective methods of teaching basic counseling skills to novice counselor trainees.     

Training Counselors to Work with Disabled Clients: Cognitive and Affective Components

This study examines the relationship of cognitive complexity, counselor anxiety, and client disability condition to accurate empathy on the part of students in training. A sample (n = 28) of students in a graduate counseling program observed a series of eight vignettes of counseling interviews (four clients with disabilities and four without disabilities) and reported a verbal counseling response to a client statement. A significant main effect was found for the cognitive complexity variable only (p < .05). A significant interaction among cognitive complexity, anxiety, and client disability condition (p < .01) indicated that all three factors interact to influence empathy. Implications for research and the training of counselors are discussed.     

USE OF OPTICALLY SCORED TEST ANSWER SHEETS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

By testing a sample of 840 school children from an urban school district, the authors examined the practical limitations of the use of an optically scored answer sheet. The independent variables were grade (two through nine) and degree of instruction and practice (three levels). The dependent variable was the number of easy items (embedded within a set of ordinary test items) that were correctly answered. The easy items, which were different for the various grades, were selected because other children, comparable to those used in the experiment, were able to answer them virtually without error when answering on a test booklet rather than on the answer sheet. The findings indicated that students in grades two and three, in the fall of the year, were unable to make valid responses. Students in grades four and five seemed able to make valid responses only after receiving specific instructions and a practice session. Above grade five, students made valid responses regardless of the types of instructions they received.     

The Effects of Mental Practice on Counseling Behaviors

Neophyte counselors trained in the use of their own imagery to practice counseling interviews were compared with a similar group not receiving the training. The mental practice was hypothesized to have experiential value for neophyte counselors resulting in positive effects upon selected behaviors commonly found with counseling experience. Results indicated that the ability to discriminate differing levels of empathic responses, the ability to evaluate accurately one's own performance, and the amount of preinterview confidence were significantly higher for the mental practice group. However, the communication of empathy and the subjective evaluations of the counselors during the interview did not prove significantly higher. This article discusses the potential value of mental practice as a supplementary experiential training technique and some considerations for its use and further study.