Principals of elementary and secondary schools in Idaho (N=246) responded to a questionnaire that asked them to identify some causes of teacher failure. The major problems leading to teachers being placed on probation or not having contracts renewed appeared to be in the areas of: (1) behavior management and student motivation; (2) personality and…

There are three basic types of career indecision: (1) developmental; (2) acute situational-reaction; and (3) chronic indecision. Developmental indecision is usually alleviated by maturity as well as by self-awareness activities and career information. Acute situational-reaction indecision is relieved by the removal of situational or environmental…

To examine the effects of background and personality on the attitudes of developing writers, a study surveyed and interviewed 17 high school students from a 1988 summer school writing class (an in-house Rural Scholars Program sponsored by the Continuing Education Office at Indiana University of Pennsylvania). Students completed a questionnaire…

The California Psychological Inventory (CPI) was administered to 54 exceptionally gifted (either high IQ's or high math science abilities) preadolescents and their parents. The profiles and factor structure of the 18 CPI scales were examined. The profiles of the parents were relatively even, suggesting that they are intellectually and socially…

Symbolic interactionists have proposed that one's self-concept is primarily affected by interactions with others to the extent and in the way one perceives those interactions. According to this perspective, an individual's global self-esteem is largely the result of subjective "reflected appraisals" of others' evaluations of him rather…

This study explored the efficacy of semantic behavior therapy in the management of chronic osteoarthritis pain in elderly patients as well as the relationships among pain, physical health, personality, and social characteristics in this population. The sample consisted of 8 elderly persons who had osteoarthritis of the knee, and 11 healthy elderly…

Research on the female offender has produced two explanations of the female criminal personality: the female offender either as a masculinated women or as an anguished woman possessing low self-esteem and poor self-control. To investigate the applicability of each position, 144 black male and female criminals and noncriminals completed the Bem Sex…

Research in the area of person perception has been dominated by the assumption that people seek stable trait information and view others as highly consistent. To examine whether perceivers would have difficulty in thinking of ways that people have changed, and in reporting instances of such change, 120 college students were asked to complete short…

Studies employing the Mooney Problem Check List (MPCL) have found that counseling center clients indicate more problems on the MPCL than nonclients. Domino and DeGroote identified 42 MPCL items concerned with self-satisfaction and a need for social contacts which further differentiated counseling seekers from nonseekers. In order to further…

A study examined the images of the 1980 presidential election primaries as expressed by televised political spot advertisements. Systematic coding of image content was completed for all 30- and 60-second commercials during the primary campaign. An advertisement's image score was defined as the number of positive evaluations of words and phrases…

Research has shown that a client's positive views of a counselor enhance commitment to treatment, positive outcome expectancies, and receptivity to counselor influence. To examine the impact of counselor gender and physical attractiveness on perceived counselor effectiveness, 60 college students evaluated male and female counselors on 15 variables…

This document presents testimony and prepared statements from the Congressional hearing on families and unemployment. The hearing begins with statements given by Judson Stone, Elkgrove, Illinois Mental Health Center; David Mills, Department of Health and Social Services of Madison, Wisconsin; Judge Charles B. Schodson, Children's Court of…

From Erikson's (1968) psychosocial criteria of crisis and commitment, Marcia (1964) derived four ego identity statuses, i.e., achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion. To explore antecedents of Erikson's ego identity construct, 130 college females completed a modified identity status interview, and questionnaires designed to elicit…

This guide discusses personal causation theory (the initiation by an individual of behavior intended to produce a change in the environment) and its application in a theoretical framework for courses in educational psychology. The work of deCharms, Fielder, Koenigs, and Muir is explored as the theoretical background for classroom applications of…

The connections between human communication and mental health were first noted 50 to 60 years ago by such early psychiatrists as Alfred Adler, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Karen Horney. They were concerned with understanding those communication processes and skills that make for effective, fully functioning human beings. Adler emphasized faulty…