B. Grant Hayes

Rap Music in School Counseling Based on Don Elligan's Rap Therapy

In 2000, Don Elligan introduced Rap Therapy as a psychotherapeutic intervention for working with at-risk youths, primarily African American males whose identities were highly influenced by rap music. Rap music can engage a population of youth who often enter counseling apprehensively (Elligan 2000, 2004; Tillie-Allen, 2005). This article reviews rap culture and how it relates to inner-city youth, as well as the benefits of using Don Elligans Rap Therapy with at-risk youth. Implications for using Rap Therapy as a time-effective intervention by school counselors are included.

Relative roles of cognitive ability and practical intelligence in the prediction of success.

Initial investigations into the construct of practical intelligence have identified a new general factor of practical intelligence (gp), which is believed to be independent of general cognitive ability. This construct, gp, is also believed to be a better predictor of success than cognitive ability, personality, or any combination of variables independent of gp. The existence of this construct and its independence from Spearmans g is, however, under debate. The purpose of the present study is to investigate both the relationship between gp and g and the relative roles of practical intelligence and cognitive ability in the prediction of success. The participants included 197 college students. Each completed both the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery and Sternberg and Wagners measure of practical intelligence in academic psychology. The results of structural equation modeling support Sternberg and Wagners assertion that practical intelligence and general cognitive ability are relatively independent constructs. Results of regression analysis, however, do not support their contention that practical intelligence is related to success after controlling for general cognitive ability. Implications of these results for research and theory on practical intelligence are discussed.

Group counselling in schools: effective or not?

Suggests taht group counselling in schools can be a valuable experience for children. Argues that it allows them to develop social skills and practise behaviours with peers as well as receiving feedback. Examines the literature on the effectiveness of group counselling in schools and provides guidance for the development of school policy for the delivery of counselling to school age students.

Identifying g: the current role of intelligence

Provides a brief description of Spearman’s g which has become the cornerstone for most theories of intelligence and highlights the social, scientific and political controversy in which this is surrounded. Discusses the identification of g before covering the criticisms, the physiological manifestations and the practical and social implications together with education. Summarizes that this construct routinely accounts for more variance than all other cognitive factors combined and so holds a high position in any model of the structure of human cognitive abilities.