Showing papers in "Journal of Counseling Psychology in 2014"

Stigma-related stressors, coping self-efficacy, and physical health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

Abstract: Understanding and intervening to address health disparities is part of the expanding role of psychologists (Johnson, 2013). We drew on Hatzenbuehler's (2009) psychological mediation framework and Lick, Durso, and Johnson's (2013) conceptual pathways to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) physical health disparities to test a serial mediation model in which 2 types of cognitive appraisals (proximal minority stressors and coping self-efficacy) partially account for the association between perceived discrimination and prejudice (distal minority stressor) and self-reported physical health symptoms in a nationally recruited sample of 564 LGB individuals (270 women, 294 men) who participated in a web-based survey. Results indicated that perceived experiences of discrimination and prejudice were associated with expectations of rejection and internalized homonegativity. These 2 proximal stressors were associated with lower coping self-efficacy, and the combined cognitive appraisal pathways were associated with higher levels of self-reported physical symptom severity. The pathway through emotion-focused coping self-efficacy was particularly salient in accounting for the overall mediation. Interventions to address distal and proximal minority stressors and improve emotion-focused coping self-efficacy may be particularly helpful in reducing the negative effects of stigma on physical health.

Minority stress, ethnic identity, and depression among Latino/a college students.

Abstract: The main purpose of the study was to examine among Latino/a college students the extent to which dimensions of minority stress related to ethnic group membership (college climate, academic achievement, ethnic discrimination, and intra-ethnic pressure stress) were uniquely associated with depression symptoms when general college stress was taken into account. The study also examined if ethnic identity moderated the relation of minority stress to depression symptoms. Participants were 309 Latino/a undergraduate students (53% women; 69% of Mexican descent) enrolled in a diverse, major research, urban, public university in the southwestern United States. Findings revealed that minority stress in the areas of academic concerns and negative perceptions of the campus climate contributed unique variance to depression symptoms when controlling for gender and students' general college stress. Ethnic identity did not moderate the relation of any of the minority stress dimensions to depression. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Treatment adherence: The importance of therapist flexibility in relation to therapy outcomes.

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of the current study was to disentangle within- and between-case variability in the adherence– outcome association. Specifically, we expected that increases or decreases in within-case adherence ratings would be positively associated with therapy outcomes. Method: Seventy clients (74% women, 26% men; Mage 29.8 years, SD 11.00) received psychodynamic psychotherapy at a university-based community outpatient clinic. Adherence to core principles of a psychodynamic treatment model were coded by independent raters at the 3rd, 9th, and termination phase sessions using a psychotherapy technique scale. Therapy outcomes were assessed at both the symptom and the broadband levels of functioning. Results: Within-case variability in adherence ratings was significantly associated with therapy outcomes (accounting for approximately 10% of the variance in outcomes), after controlling for alliance, between-case variability, and the proportion of outcomes attributed by therapists. Conclusion: The flexibility therapists demonstrate regarding the use of technique within a given treatment appears to be related to better outcomes across their caseload in relation to therapists who are less flexible with their interventions at the individual client level. The clinical implications of flexibility in adherence to a treatment model are discussed.

The Association of Therapist Empathy and Synchrony in Vocally Encoded Arousal

Abstract: Empathy is an interpersonal process typically defined as the ability to both understand and experience the feelings of another person (Preston & De Waal, 2002). Within the field of psychotherapy, empathy is thought to be important across treatments but has been specifically emphasized within motivational interviewing (MI). MI refers to a class of evidence-based psychotherapies that specifies a particular linguistic approach to treatment wherein the therapist promotes client “change talk” while maintaining a non-judgmental and empathic stance. In MI, empathy is hypothesized to have both direct effects on treatment outcomes and indirect effects via the facilitation of client change talk (Miller & Rose, 2009). These predictions are consistent with evidence that ratings of therapist empathy are related to client outcomes in MI (Miller & Rose, 2009; Moyers & Miller, 2013) and across psychotherapies (Elliott, Bohart, Watson, & Greenberg, 2011). However, the empirical study of empathy has proved challenging, beginning with its definition. In clinical research, empathy is treated as a felt sense construct that relies on human perceptual skill for evaluation. Although there is no single definition, there is some consensus that empathy is composed of three processes: (a) emotional simulation—mirroring of the others experience, (b) perspective taking—understanding the client, and (c) emotion regulation—soothing interpersonal distress (Eisenberg & Eggum, 2009). Most clinical research has emphasized perspective-taking processes (Elliot et al., 2011), and corresponding definitions can be abstract and difficult to operationalize—“entering the private perceptual world of the other” (Rogers, 1980, p. 142). The Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Scale (MITI), a standard MI behavioral coding manual, defines empathy as whether the therapist is able “to ‘try on’ what the client feels or thinks.” A low rating (1) indicates that the therapist showed no interest in the client's perspective, and a high rating (7) indicates that the therapist demonstrated “a deep understanding of client's point of view” (Moyers, Martin, & Manuel, 2005, p. 14). Moreover, in MI, empathy is most often quantified through behavioral coding systems, which can be extremely time-consuming (e.g., Moyers, Martin, Manuel, Hendrickson, & Miller, 2005), and reliability estimates can often be quite low (ICCs of approximately .40; Moyers, Miller, & Hendrickson, 2005; Vader, Walters, Prabhu, Houck, & Field, 2010; see also Moyers, Martin, Catley, Harris, & Ahluwalia, 2003, for an exception, ICC = .77). Low and variable estimates of reliability are consistent with the idea that empathy is not well defined operationally. It may be that there is a shared, intuitive understanding of what empathy is, but a lack of behavioral specificity and practical problems inherent in the behavioral coding make it challenging to evaluate. Methods for evaluating therapist empathy are needed to provide more specific information about what happens in therapy dyads.

Conduits from community violence exposure to peer aggression and victimization: contributions of parental monitoring, impulsivity, and deviancy.

Abstract: Community violence exposure results in heightened risk for engaging in and being a victim of interpersonal violence. Despite this robust literature, few studies have specifically examined how the relation between community violence exposure, peer aggression, and victimization is modified by individual, peer, and familial influences (considered jointly). In the current study, we used risk and resiliency theory to examine links between community violence exposure and peer aggression and victimization. Impulsivity and parental monitoring were examined as potential moderators of the link between community violence exposure and outcomes, both directly and indirectly via deviant behavior. Survey data on bullying involvement, fighting, deviancy, parental monitoring, and impulsivity were collected on 3 occasions over an 18-month period among a large cohort of adolescents (N = 1,232) in 5th-7th grades. Structural equation modeling suggests that for both male and female adolescents, impulsivity exacerbates the effects of community violence exposure by increasing involvement in deviant behavior. Parental monitoring buffered the effects of community violence exposure on perpetration and victimization (for males and female adolescents) via reduced involvement in deviant behavior. Findings suggest that impulsivity and parental monitoring are implicated in modifying the effects of community violence exposure on both victimization and perpetration through deviancy, although deviancy is not as potent of a predictor for victimization. Thus, prevention efforts would seem to be optimally targeted at multiple ecological levels, including parental involvement and peer networks.

Living a calling and work well-being: a longitudinal study.

Abstract: The current study examined the link between living a calling and career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction with a diverse group of working adults at 3 time points over a 6-month period. Using structural equation modeling, 3 models were tested that hypothesized that living a calling would predict career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction over time. However, counter to hypotheses, living a calling was best positioned as an outcome of each of these variables. Specifically, living a calling at Time 2 and Time 3 was significantly predicted by career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction at Time 1 and Time 2, respectively. Time 2 living a calling did predict Time 3 work career commitment and work meaning, but these effects were small. Results suggest that over time, individuals who feel committed to their career, derive more meaning from their work, and are more satisfied with their jobs are more likely to feel they are living a calling. Practical implications are discussed.

Gender and race matter: the importance of considering intersections in Black women's body image.

Abstract: Traditionally, body image literature has used race as a variable to explain ethnic-specific differences in body satisfaction and the prevalence of eating disorders. Instead of employing race as an explanatory variable, the present study utilized a qualitative method to explore the relationships among race, ethnicity, culture, discrimination, and body image for African American and Black women. The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of how race and gender interface with and inform body image. Women were recruited through community centers in a major metropolitan city and represented a diversity of ethnicities. In total, 26 women who identified racially as Black (mean age = 26 years) participated in 6 focus groups, which explored body ideals, societal messages, cultural values, racism, and sexism. Narrative data from the focus groups were analyzed using grounded theory. The central category, Body/Self Image, was informed by perceptions of and feelings about not only weight and shape but also hair, skin, and attitude. Three additional categories, each with multiple properties, emerged: Interpersonal Influences, Experiences of Oppression, and Media Messages. These categories interact to explain the central category of Body/Self Image, and an emergent theory is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

The multigroup ethnic identity measure-revised: measurement invariance across racial and ethnic groups.

Abstract: The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R), a brief instrument assessing affiliation with one's ethnic group, is a promising advance in the ethnic identity literature. However, equivalency of its measurement properties across specific racial and ethnic groups should be confirmed before using it in diverse samples. We examined (a) the psychometric properties of the MEIM-R, including factor structure, measurement invariance, and internal consistency reliability, and (b) levels of and differences in ethnic identity across multiple racial and ethnic groups and subgroups. Asian (n = 630), Black/African American (n = 58), Hispanic (n = 240), multiethnic (n = 160), and White (n = 375) women completed the MEIM-R as part of the "Gestational diabetes' Effect on Moms" diabetes prevention trial in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health care setting (N = 1,463; M age = 32.5 years, SD = 4.9). Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analyses provided provisional evidence of measurement invariance, i.e., an equal, correlated 2-factor structure, equal factor loadings, and equal item intercepts across racial and ethnic groups. Latent factor means for the 2 MEIM-R subscales, exploration and commitment, differed across groups; effect sizes ranging from small to large generally supported the notion of ethnic identity as more salient among people of color. Pending replication, good psychometric properties in this large and diverse sample of women support the future use of the MEIM-R. Preliminary evidence of measurement invariance suggests that the MEIM-R could be used to measure and compare ethnic identity across multiple racial and ethnic groups.

Work, family, support, and depression: employed mothers in Israel, Korea, and the United States.

Abstract: Our research revealed differences in work-family constructs for employed mothers in 3 countries, Israel (N = 105), Korea (N = 298), and the United States (N = 305). Although levels of work-family conflict were comparable, the Korean women had the lowest levels of work-family enrichment compared with the Israeli and American mothers. Moreover, Korean women reported the most depression and the least support from both spouses and employers. Spousal support mediated the relationship between work-family conflict and depression for employed mothers in Israel, Korea, and the United States. As hypothesized by conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 1998, 2001), threat of resource loss (operationalized as work-family conflict) was related to depression more strongly than was resource gain (i.e., work-family enrichment).

Self-critical perfectionism and binge eating symptoms: a longitudinal test of the intervening role of psychological need frustration.

Abstract: Although abundant research has shown that self-critical perfectionism relates to binge eating symptoms, fewer studies have addressed the role of intervening processes that might explain why this is the case. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, we hypothesized that self-critical perfectionism would relate to an increased risk for binge eating symptoms because it engenders frustration of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 566 adolescents (72% female; mean age 13.3 = years) using a three-wave longitudinal study with a 6-months interval. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that self-critical perfectionism related to increases in psychological need frustration which, in turn, predicted increases in binge eating symptoms. Structural relations were found to be equivalent for males and females. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Revised and abbreviated forms of the genderism and transphobia scale: Tools for assessing anti-trans* prejudice

Abstract: Many studies of anti-trans prejudice have measured such attitudes using the Genderism and Transphobia Scale (GTS; Hill & Willoughby, 2005). The GTS is unique in assessing negative attitudes and propensity for violence toward trans people. The present research addressed previously observed limitations in the psychometric properties of data produced by the GTS, including inconsistencies in factor structure and subscale scoring across studies. Results across the present 2 studies (Ns = 314 and 250) yielded 2 refined versions of the GTS: the 22-item GTS-Revised (GTS-R) and a more abbreviated 13-item GTS-R-Short Form (GTS-R-SF), each of which produced stable 2-factor structures corresponding with the intended negative attitudes and propensity for violence dimensions of the GTS. The 2 versions differ in that the GTS-R-SF Genderism/Transphobia subscale focuses on more severe expressions of prejudicial attitudes, whereas the longer GTS-R Genderism/Transphobia subscale assesses subtle expressions of prejudice as well. The Gender-Bashing subscale is identical across the 2 versions. Thus, researchers and practitioners may choose the GTS-R or GTS-R-SF depending on the breadth of prejudicial attitudes they wish to assess. Reliability estimates for GTS-R and GTS-R-SF scale and subscale item responses were acceptable and stable across the 2 studies, and validity evidence was garnered in Study 2. These findings can inform use of the GTS-R and GTS-R-SF in research and practice settings, where psychometric precision and efficiency are both critical.

Face consciousness among South Korean women: a culture-specific extension of objectification theory.

Abstract: This study tested key tenets of objectification theory with South Korean women and explored the roles of sexually objectifying media and culture-specific standards of beauty in body image and eating disorder symptoms. Two pilot studies with South Korean college women (n = 40, n = 30) revealed that facial characteristics such as size and shape represent a discrete variable among culture-specific standards of beauty for South Korean women. Results with a sample of 562 South Korean college women indicated that media exposure had significant positive indirect relations with body shame and eating disorder symptoms through the mediating roles of internalization, body surveillance, and face surveillance. Internalization of cultural standards of beauty had significant positive direct relations with body surveillance and face surveillance and had both direct and indirect relations with body shame and eating disorder symptoms. Body and face surveillances had significant positive direct relations with body shame and had indirect relations with eating disorder symptoms. Finally, body shame mediated the links from internalization and surveillance variables to eating disorder symptoms. The results support the applicability of objectification theory as it relates to South Korean women and point to the significance of culture-specific standards of beauty within that framework. These findings could contribute to the broader field of multicultural body image research, with potential implications for therapist practices and training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Perfectionism, emotion regulation, and the cortisol stress response.

Abstract: To provide counseling psychologists with a greater understanding of patterns of personality, stress, and emotion regulation, the present study examined perfectionists' typical emotion regulation patterns and physiological reactivity (salivary cortisol concentration) to a social-evaluative stress experience. An initially large sample (N = 421) completed measures of perfectionism, higher order personality factors, and emotion regulation. A subset of the larger sample (N = 61) completed the Trier Social Stress Test. Latent profile analysis revealed typologies consistent with more and less adaptively perfectionistic groups, as reflected in different stress reactivity and emotion regulation patterns. The results have implications for further understanding the positive and negative effects of perfectionism and physiological reactivity to performance stress among individuals with high performance expectations. In addition, the results may inform counseling psychologists about viable targets for therapeutic interventions for stress and emotion regulation.

Neurosciences, empathy, and healthy interpersonal relationships: recent findings and implications for counseling psychology.

Abstract: In this article, we define the construct of empathy and its relevance for counseling psychology. The importance of deficits in empathic processes for most of the psychological disorders is presented within the context of the social brain hypothesis (Frith, 2007). We provide a review of empirical research about the neural correlates of empathy in terms of both the central and peripheral nervous system. We present recent evidence on the cortical and subcortical regions involved in different dimensions of empathy-emotional contagion, cognitive and emotional empathy, and self-regulation. Regarding the autonomic correlates of empathy, we present evidence about the correlates of sympathetic arousal associated with empathic processes and review data supporting the idea of the physiological linkage or synchrony as indicator of empathy in interpersonal relationships. The implications of these findings for counseling psychology, particularly for the psychotherapist-client relationship and for context of intimate relationships or couples therapy, are discussed.

Perfectionism, neuroticism, and daily stress reactivity and coping effectiveness 6 months and 3 years later.

Abstract: The present study addressed a fundamental gap between research and clinical work by advancing longitudinal explanatory conceptualizations of stress and coping processes that trigger daily affect in the short- and long-term for individuals with higher levels of personality vulnerability. Community adults completed measures of 2 higher order dimensions of perfectionism (personal standards [PS], selfcriticism [SC]), neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Then, 6 months later and again 3 years later, participants completed daily questionnaires of stress, coping, and affect for 14 consecutive days. PS was associated with aggregated daily problem-focused coping and positive reinterpretation, whereas SC was uniquely associated with daily negative social interactions, avoidant coping, negative affect, and sadness at Month 6 and Year 3. Multilevel modeling results demonstrated that both individuals with higher PS and those with higher SC were emotionally reactive to event stress, negative social interactions, and avoidant coping at Month 6 and Year 3 and to less perceived control at Year 3. Positive reinterpretation was especially effective for individuals with higher SC at Month 6 and Year 3. The effects of PS on daily stress reactivity and coping (in)effectiveness were clearly distinguished from the effects of neuroticism and conscientiousness, whereas the SC effects were due to shared overlap with PS and neuroticism. The present findings demonstrate the promise of using repeated daily diary methodologies to help therapists and clients reliably predict future client reactions to daily stressors, which, in turn, could help guide interventions to break apart dysfunctional patterns connected to distress and build resilience for vulnerable individuals.

Changes in White college students' color-blind racial ideology over 4 years: do diversity experiences make a difference?

Abstract: In this longitudinal study, we explored how White students’ (N 857) color-blind racial ideology (CBRI; i.e., beliefs that serve to deny, minimize, and/or distort the existence of racism) changed over time and the factors associated with these patterns of change. Specifically, we investigated whether gender, diversity attitudes (i.e., openness to diversity and interest in social issues), and college diversity experiences (i.e., diversity-related courses/activities and close interracial friendships) predicted patterns of CBRI change. Findings indicated that gender and diversity attitudes were related to initial levels of CBRI, such that women and students who were more open to diversity issues at the beginning of college were more likely to report lower levels of CBRI; gender was also related to a greater decrease in CBRI changes over the college experience. Furthermore, college diversity experiences predicted changes in CBRI over time, such that students who completed a greater number of diversity courses and activities and those who had a greater number of close Black friends showed a significantly greater decrease in CBRI over their 4 years in college; interestingly, students who reported having no Latino friends compared with having some close Latino friends showed a significantly greater decrease in CBRI over time.

Advancing Complex Explanatory Conceptualizations of Daily Negative and Positive Affect: Trigger and Maintenance Coping Action Patterns

Abstract: The present study addressed a fundamental gap between research and clinical work by advancing complex explanatory conceptualizations of coping action patterns that trigger and maintain daily negative affect and (low) positive affect. One hundred ninety-six community adults completed measures of perfectionism, and then 6 months later completed questionnaires at the end of the day for 14 consecutive days to provide simultaneous assessments of appraisals, coping, and affect across different stressful situations in everyday life. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) supported complex explanatory conceptualizations that demonstrated (a) disengagement trigger patterns consisting of several distinct appraisals (e.g., event stress) and coping strategies (e.g., avoidant coping) that commonly operate together across many different stressors when the typical individual experiences daily increases in negative affect and drops in positive affect; and (b) disengagement maintenance patterns composed of different appraisal and coping maintenance factors that, in combination, can explain why individuals with higher levels of self-critical perfectionism have persistent daily negative affect and low positive mood 6 months later. In parallel, engagement patterns (triggers and maintenance) composed of distinct appraisals (e.g., perceived social support) and coping strategies (e.g., problem-focused coping) were linked to compensatory experiences of daily positive affect. These findings demonstrate the promise of using daily diary methodologies and MSEM to promote a shared understanding between therapists and clients of trigger and maintenance coping action patterns that explain what precipitates and perpetuates clients' difficulties, which, in turn, can help achieve the 2 overarching therapy goals of reducing clients' distress and bolstering resilience.

Gender differences in career preferences from 1990 to 2010: gaps reduced but not eliminated.

Abstract: The present research focused on gender differences in career preferences, comparing those in 2010 with those in 1990 (as reported by Gati, Osipow, & Givon, 1995). The tested hypothesis was that gender differences in aspect-based career preferences (e.g., income, teamwork, professional advancement, length of training) would have decreased over the past 20 years. The career preferences of 21,767 young adult women and 15,532 men-who used an Internet-based career guidance system in 2010 to assist them in making a career decision-were analyzed and compared with the respective preferences of 1,252 young adult women and 751 young adult men who used a previous version of the system in 1990. As hypothesized, gender differences were attenuated in most aspects (e.g., professional advancement, management); however, these differences increased in a few aspects (e.g., community service and counseling are increasingly preferred by women). The findings and their implications are discussed.

Trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression among sexual minority and heterosexual women veterans.

Abstract: This study examined the impact of various traumas across the life span on screening positive for current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among heterosexual and sexual minority women veterans. Women veterans were recruited over the Internet (N = 706, 37% lesbian or bisexual) to participate in an anonymous, online survey. We assessed childhood trauma; adult sexual assault and adult physical victimization before, during, and after the military; combat exposure; perceived sexist discrimination during military service; sexual minority military stressors; past-year sexist events; and whether participants screened positive for PTSD or depression. Binary logistic regressions were used to generate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for PTSD and depression, stratified by sexual orientation and controlling for demographic characteristics. Lesbian and bisexual women reported higher rates of trauma across the life span, although in some instances (e.g., sexual assault during and after military service, combat exposure), they did not differ from their heterosexual counterparts. Childhood trauma and traumas that occurred during military service added the most variance to both PTSD and depression models. Sexual assault during military service appeared to be especially harmful with respect to screening positive for PTSD for both sexual orientation groups. Results revealed a number of other predictors of mental health status for women veterans, some of which differed by sexual orientation. Findings indicate a significant burden of interpersonal trauma for both heterosexual and lesbian/bisexual women veterans and provide information on the distinct association of various traumas with current PTSD and depression by sexual orientation.

Moving beyond the binary with disordered eating research: a test and extension of objectification theory with bisexual women.

Abstract: In predicting disordered eating, the core model of objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) has been replicated and extended in research across most sexual minority groups (e.g., Haines et al., 2008; Wiseman & Moradi, 2010), but not bisexual women. The present study tested the tenets of objectification theory with a sample of 316 bisexual women and further extended this theory by examining the roles of 2 minority stressors-antibisexual discrimination and internalized biphobia-that are contextually salient for bisexual women. A latent variable structural equation model was conducted, and the model yielded a good fit to the data. Antibisexual discrimination and internalized biphobia (but not sexual objectification experiences) yielded significant unique links with internalization of sociocultural standards of attractiveness (internalization of CSA). Next, internalization of CSA yielded a significant unique link with body surveillance. In addition, antibisexual discrimination, internalization of CSA, and body surveillance yielded significant unique links with body shame. Finally, sexual objectification experiences, internalization of CSA, and body shame yielded significant unique links with eating disorder symptomatology. Beyond the direct relations, antibisexual discrimination yielded significant positive indirect links with body surveillance, body shame, and eating disorder symptoms. Internalization of CSA yielded significant positive indirect links with body shame and eating disorder symptoms. Lastly, body surveillance yielded a significant positive indirect link with eating disorder symptoms. Implications for research and practice with bisexual women are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Authenticity, life satisfaction, and distress: A longitudinal analysis.

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the reciprocal relationships between authenticity and measures of life satisfaction and distress using a 2-wave panel study design. Data were collected from 232 college students attending 2 public universities. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results of the cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that after controlling for temporal stability, initial authenticity (Time 1) predicted later distress and life satisfaction (Time 2). Specifically, higher levels of authenticity at Time 1 were associated with increased life satisfaction and decreased distress at Time 2. Neither distress nor life satisfaction at Time 1 significantly predicted authenticity at Time 2. However, the relationship between Time 1 distress and Time 2 authenticity was not significantly different from the relationship between Time 1 authenticity and Time 2 distress. Results are discussed in light of humanistic-existential theories and the empirical research on well-being.

The impact of counselor self-disclosure on clients: a meta-analytic review of experimental and quasi-experimental research.

Abstract: In an attempt to make sense of contradictory findings, meta-analysis was used to review 53 studies that examined counselor self-disclosure (CSD) vs. nondisclosure. CSD, overall, was found to have a favorable impact on clients/participants, with clients/participants having favorable perceptions of disclosing counselors and rating themselves more likely to disclose to counselors who had self-disclosed. Specifically, CSD that (a) revealed similarity between client and counselor; (b) was of negative content valence; or (c) was related to intra- or, especially, extratherapy experiences, had favorable impacts on clients/participants compared with nondisclosure. These types of disclosure resulted in more favorable perceptions of the counselor, especially in the area of professional attractiveness. CSD that revealed similarity between client and counselor also had a favorable impact on clients'/participants' allegiance-specifically, on their willingness to return-to disclosing counselors. Significant moderators of the impact of CSD on clients included researcher bias for or against CSD, type of "session" (e.g., written transcript, interview, real session), timing of CSD (whether before or after client self-disclosure), verb tense of extratherapy CSD, experimental setting, type of control group, and the number of CSDs in the experiment. Clinical implications include that CSD may be beneficial for building rapport, strengthening alliance, and eliciting client disclosure, with similar CSD being especially beneficial.

The secret ingredient in mindfulness interventions? A case for practice quality over quantity.

Abstract: As mindfulness-based interventions become increasingly widespread, interest has grown in better understanding which features of these treatments produce beneficial effects. The present study examined the relative contribution of mindfulness practice time and practice quality in predicting psychological functioning (negative affect, emotion regulation, quality of life, mindfulness). Data were drawn from a randomized clinical trial of mindfulness training for smokers and assessed outcomes at posttreatment (n = 43) and 5-month follow-up (n = 38). The intervention included instruction in mindfulness techniques targeted to smoking cessation and relapse prevention and was composed of 10 group meetings over 8 weeks. Data from 8 treatment groups were used. Mindfulness practice quality was measured weekly over the course of treatment, and multilevel modeling was used to estimate trajectories of change in practice quality. The measure of practice quality was shown to be valid and reliable, with change in practice quality predicting change in psychological functioning at both posttreatment (β= .31, 95% CI =[0.04, 0.56], p = .022) and follow-up (β= .45 [0.16, 0.73], p = .002), even when controlling for practice time. Practice time predicted outcomes at posttreatment (β= .31 [0.05, 0.57], p = .019) but not at follow-up (β= .16 [[{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"H11002","term_id":"875822"}}H11002]0.14, 0.47], p = .293). Neither practice time nor change in practice quality predicted smoking abstinence at 1 month or 6 months postquit. Results support the importance of practice quality as a relevant aspect of mindfulness interventions.

Dimensions of belonging as an aspect of racial-ethnic-cultural identity: an exploration of indigenous Australians.

Abstract: Sense of belonging is a key aspect of racial and ethnic identity. Interestingly, there is little exploration of the multiple characteristics of belongingness within the racial and ethnic identity literature. Through individual interviews and a focus group, we explored the sense of racial-ethnic-cultural (REC) belonging among 19 self-identified Black Indigenous Australians (Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders). Using dimensional analysis, we uncovered 5 core interrelated dimensions of REC belonging: History/Memory, Place, and Peoplehood; Sense of Community; Acceptance and Pride; Shared Language and Culture; and Interconnections. We also uncovered 3 main barriers undermining participants' sense of REC belonging: phenotype, social identity, and history of colonization.

AAPI college students' willingness to seek counseling: the role of culture, stigma, and attitudes.

Abstract: This study tested 4 theoretically and empirically derived structural equation models of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islanders' willingness to seek counseling with a sample of 278 college students. The models represented competing hypotheses regarding the manner in which Asian cultural values, European American cultural values, public stigma, stigma by close others, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional help related to willingness to seek counseling. We found that Asian and European American cultural values differentially related to willingness to seek counseling indirectly through specific indirect pathways (public stigma, stigma by close others, self-stigma, and attitudes toward seeking professional help). Our results also showed that the magnitude of model-implied relationships did not vary as a function of generational status. Study limitations, future directions for research, and implications for counseling are discussed.

Momentary assessment of interpersonal process in psychotherapy.

Abstract: To demonstrate how a novel computer joystick coding method can illuminate the study of interpersonal processes in psychotherapy sessions, we applied it to Shostrom’s (1966) well-known films in which a client, Gloria, had sessions with 3 prominent psychotherapists. The joystick method, which records interpersonal behavior as nearly continuous flows on the plane defined by the interpersonal dimensions of control and affiliation, provides an excellent sampling of variability in each person’s interpersonal behavior across the session. More important, it yields extensive information about the temporal dynamics that interrelate clients’ and therapists’ behaviors. Gloria’s 3 psychotherapy sessions were characterized using time-series statistical indices and graphical representations. Results demonstrated that patterns of within-person variability tended to be markedly asymmetric, with a predominant, set-point-like interpersonal style from which deviations mostly occurred in just 1 direction (e.g., occasional submissive departures from a modal dominant style). In addition, across each session, the therapist and client showed strongly cyclical variations in both control and affiliation, and these oscillations were entrained to different extents depending on the therapist. We interpreted different patterns of moment-to-moment complementarity of interpersonal behavior in terms of different therapeutic goals, such as fostering a positive alliance versus disconfirming the client’s interpersonal expectations. We also showed how this method can be used to provide a more detailed analysis of specific shorter segments from each of the sessions. Finally, we compared our approach to alternative techniques, such as act-to-act lagged relations and dynamic systems and pointed to a variety of possible research and training applications.

Investigating the structure and measurement invariance of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure in a multiethnic sample of college students.

Abstract: In this article, we evaluate the factor structure of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; Phinney, 1992) and test whether the MEIM exhibits measurement invariance across ethnic groups taken from a diverse sample of students from 30 different colleges and universities across the United States (N = 9,625). Initial analyses suggested that a bifactor model was an adequate representation of the structure of the MEIM. This model was then used in subsequent invariance tests. Results suggested that the MEIM displayed configural and metric invariance across 5 diverse ethnic groups (i.e., White, Black, Hispanic, East Asian, and South Asian). There were indications that the MEIM displayed a similar factor structure with roughly equivalent factor loadings across diverse ethnic groups. However, there was little evidence of scalar invariance across these groups, suggesting that mean-level comparisons of MEIM scores across ethnic groups should be interpreted with caution. The implications of these findings for the interpretation and use of this popular measure of ethnic identity are discussed.

The influence of multicultural counseling competence and anti-Black prejudice on therapists' outcome expectancies.

Abstract: The broad goal of this study was to examine multiple potential predictors of anti-Black bias among counselors. Specifically, in an online survey of 173 trainees and professionals in mental health, this study used 3 measures related to cultural sensitivity as predictors of therapists' expectancies for bond and prognosis with African American clients compared with White clients. The Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI; Sodowsky, Taffe, Gutkin, & Wise, 1994) was used to measure global multicultural competence. The Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) served as a measure of automatic prejudice toward Blacks. Additionally, a new self-report measure of anti-Black clinical prejudice was created specifically for this study. The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (Paulhus, 1984) was included to control for socially desirable responding. Each predictor of cultural sensitivity uniquely explained variance in anti-Black bias in bond ratings, with the IAT accounting for more variance than the 2 self-reports. Our novel measure of clinical prejudice accounted for anti-Black bias in prognosis ratings, but the MCI and the IAT did not. Researchers studying cultural competence are encouraged to consider the roles of automatic and deliberate prejudice in determining disparities in clinical expectancies and cross-racial therapeutic alliances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Academic satisfaction among Latino/a and White men and women engineering students.

Abstract: The current study tests a model of academic satisfaction in engineering based on Lent, Brown, and Hackett's (1994, 2000) social cognitive career theory among a sample of 527 engineering majors attending a Hispanic serving institution. The findings indicated that (a) an alternative bidirectional model fit the data for the full sample; (b) all of the hypothesized relations were significant for the full sample, except the path from engineering interests to goals; (c) social cognitive career theory predictors accounted for a significant amount of variance in engineering goals (26.6%) and academic satisfaction (45.1%); and (d) the model parameters did not vary across men and women or across Latino/a and White engineering undergraduate students. Implications for research and practice are discussed in relation to persistence in engineering among women and Latinos/as.

The interpersonal shame inventory for Asian Americans: scale development and psychometric properties.

Abstract: This article reports the development and psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Shame Inventory (ISI), a culturally salient and clinically relevant measure of interpersonal shame for Asian Americans. Across 4 studies involving Asian American college students, the authors provided evidence for this new measure’s validity and reliability. Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a model with 2 correlated factors: external shame (arising from concerns about others’ negative evaluations) and family shame (arising from perceptions that one has brought shame to one’s family), corresponding to 2 subscales: ISI-E and ISI-F, respectively. Evidence for criterion-related, concurrent, discriminant, and incremental validity was demonstrated by testing the associations between external shame and family shame and immigration/international status, generic state shame, face concerns, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation. External shame and family shame also exhibited differential relations with other variables. Mediation findings were consistent with a model in which family shame mediated the effects of thwarted belongingness on suicide ideation. Further, the ISI subscales demonstrated high alpha coefficients and test–retest reliability. These findings are discussed in light of the conceptual, methodological, and clinical contributions of the ISI.