Bianca L. Bernstein

Relations of complementarity and supervisory issues to supervisory working alliance: A comparative analysis of two cases.

This study examined the effects of complementary communications and supervisory issues on the formation of working alliance in 2 graduate student supervisor-supervisee dyads, 1 characterized by high alliance and 1 by low alliance, over the first 3 weeks of clinical supervision. A research-informed case study method was used to collect process and outcome data from the participant and rater perspectives. Results provided some support for (a) a sequential order of the themes or issues underlying the professional development of counselor trainees, (b) a higher degree of complementary interaction in the high-alliance dyad than in the low-alliance dyad, and (c) a relation between complementarity and supervision satisfaction level. Implications for future research and practice are discussed relative to the supervision literature.

Counseling Psychology and the Scientist-Practitioner Model: Implementation and Implications

The ways in which the scientist-practitioner model has been implemented in the admissions and training processes of psychology programs are examined. Institutional pressures on counseling psychology faculty have led to admissions procedures that are highly biased in favor of science. Not only have most training programs failed to provide the clinical training desired and needed by practitioners, but even the most scientifically oriented programs have often failed to provide the conditions necessary to the development of talented researchers. Recommendations are given for admissions and training procedures that can bring about a stronger integration of science and practice.

Current Practices of Counseling Psychology Faculty in K-12 Schools A National Survey

Given the debates about the identity and future of counseling psychology programs in colleges of education and given the growing national crisis in K-12 education, this study examined the involvement of counseling psychology faculty in school-related issues. Full-time faculty from APA-accredited counseling psychology programs were surveyed about the extent of their involvement in K-12-related teaching, research, service, policy, and program development. The results suggest a significant interest and involvement by many counseling psychology faculty. 7he results are discussed in terms of implications for the profession of counseling psychology.

Affiliation, achievement and life events: Contributors to stress appraisals in college men and women

Abstract This study examined the importance of affiliation and achievement matched with particular types of stressful events in relation to appraisal. The purpose of this study was to test Bernsteins (1987) hypothesis that certain central issues high in importance interacting with relevant events predict appraisal. Based on the development tasks and transitions of traditional college youth, 68 undergraduates participated in the study. The analyses showed significant main and interactive effects. Results suggest that the importance of affiliation and congruent events may constitute a vulnerability factor whereas, achievement and congruent events may not. More college men than college women reported achievement-related events. In contrast, more women than men reported interpersonally-related events. Both men and women gave the importance of affiliation and achievement similar moderate to high ratings. The results are discussed in terms of support for the model of centrality which integrates cognitive processes and stressful life events models.

Central issue importance as a function of gender and ethnicity

A recent theoretical model of centrality (Bernstein, 1987; Bernstein, Hofmann, Santiago, & Diebolt, 1989) suggests that the importance attached to certain “central issues” may increase the vulnerability of individuals to distress and depression, and may explain the differential rates of depression among gender, racial, and ethnic groups. The present study was designed to examine the importance of central issues as reported by Anglo, Black, and Hispanic men and women (N=169). Multivariate analyses revealed significant gender, ethnicity, and gender X ethnicity effects. Specifically, women considered Intimacy significantly more important than did men, whereas men attached more importance than women to Affiliation. Anglos rated Achievement significantly higher than did Hispanics and Blacks; Hispanics considered Affiliation more important than the other two groups; and Blacks considered Intimacy the least important among the groups. Moreover, Hispanic men attributed significantly greater importance to Change, Adventure, and Control, whereas Hispanic women attached the least significance among all the groups to Control. The results are discussed in terms of cultural influences on sex role orientation and central issues, and the process by which culture and ethnicity may be related to vulnerability to depression and distress.

The continuing evolution of the research doctorate

In this chapter, we offer a synthesis of international perspectives on the nature of the PhD, its contribution to original research, and the competencies and outcomes now expected of those completing a PhD.1 As a resource for all doctoral programs, this synthesis can provide a basis for (1) improving the quality of outcomes for all PhD students, (2) explicitly differentiating doctoral programs to promote understanding and diversity within a broadly accepted framework, (3) facilitating discussion among universities and governmental agencies about quality assurance and funding, and (4) promoting mobility among PhD holders by clarifying commonalities in the degree across countries and educational systems.

Measuring the Advising Alliance for Female Graduate Students in Science and Engineering An Emerging Structure

Faculty advisors play an important role in the development of graduate students. One group for which the advising relationship has been shown to be especially crucial is women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We designed two studies to assess the advising alliance for women in STEM graduate programs using the student version of the Advisor Working Alliance Inventory (AWAI) along with additional content developed by our team. Study 1 (N = 76) was developed to assess item performance and the initial structure with a pilot sample of undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering. Study 2 (N = 293) was designed to assess the advising alliance exclusively for women in STEM graduate programs. Our results indicated that an alternative alliance structure may exist for women in STEM and in Study 2 two factors emerged, which indicated that instrumental support and psychosocial support are two salient factors for women in STEM.

Development of the science technology engineering and mathematics — Active listening skills assessment (STEM-ALSA)

The purpose of this investigation was to develop the STEM Active Listening Skills Assessment (STEM-ALSA), a conceptually grounded instrument designed to measure four components of active listening, a key element of communication in an academic setting. The STEM-ALSA is comprised of three unique scales that measure a persons knowledge (12 items), ability to apply (25 items), and self-efficacy (5 items) with respect to active listening. Two pilot studies were conducted with N = 99 upper level undergraduate students enrolled in STEM disciplines to develop and evaluate the instrument. Results of an exploratory factor analysis identified both a unidimensional factor structure for each of the three scales and total scores with adequate internal consistency reliability estimates. The STEM-ALSA provides a mechanism for measuring active listening skills among students in STEM.

Work in progress - using case studies to increase the retention of female doctoral students in STEM Fields

This paper discusses part of the NSF funded project, CareerWISE: Internet-delivered resilience training to increase the persistence of Women Ph.D. Students in STEM Fields. Research shows that rates of doctoral student attrition (i.e., beginning and then not completing a doctoral degree program) are substantially higher for women than for men, including in the physical sciences and engineering. The CareerWISE project addresses this problem through the development of a Web-based resource consisting of training materials that will build the resilience skills, problem solving skills, and persistence of women in science and engineering PhD programs. CareerWISE is currently in the second of three years, and this paper focuses primarily on the portion of the project involving written case studies. The differences between the types of case studies traditionally used in science and engineering courses and the CareerWISE case studies are discussed, along with the plans for evaluating and integrating the cases with the other pieces of the CareerWISE project.

Importance of central issues and students positive evaluation of life events.

To increase our understanding of stress-resistance factors in college students, we examined whether the importance attached to certain issues would distinguish among 123 students who evaluated recent stressful life events positively or negatively. For a subsample of undergraduate students, 16 positive evaluators considered Intimacy and Adventure less important than 24 negative evaluators.