Christopher J. McCarthy

Paper-and-Pencil Or Online? Evaluating Mode Effects on Measures of Emotional Functioning and Attachment

The viability of using the World Wide Web to collect data from three widely used instruments by clinicians and researchers was investigated. The instruments were the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment, the Negative Mood Regulation Scale, and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. Data were collected from two comparable groups of college students, and differences in response patterns on paper-and-pencil and World Wide Web versions of the measures, at both the item level and scale score level, were documented. Although mode of administration effects were statistically significant, the magnitude of the effects was in general very small. The basic similarity of the properties of the measures using paper-and-pencil and online Internet modes of administration suggests the viability of the Internet for assessing these and other psychological phenomena.

Preventive Resources and Emotion Regulation Expectancies as Mediators Between Attachment and College Students' Stress Outcomes

In this study the authors examined both preventive psychological coping resources and negative mood regulation expectancies as potential mediators between parental attachment and two types of stress outcomes: stress symptoms and stress-produced emotions. Data were collected from 390 college students and separate structural equation models were tested for the outcomes of stress symptoms and emotions. Results suggested that for both models, as hypothesized, preventive resources and negative mood regulation expectancies functioned as mediators. Further, there was evidence that these results were similar for the model in which stress symptoms were used as an outcome, as well as the model in which stress-produced emotions were used as the outcome. Implications for a more complete understanding of psychological resources promoted by secure attachment are discussed. Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association.

Coping, Stress, and Job Satisfaction as Predictors of Advanced Placement Statistics Teachers’ Intention to Leave the Field

This study examined the relationship of teachers’ perceptions of coping resources and demands to job satisfaction factors. Participants were 158 Advanced Placement Statistics high school teachers who completed measures of personal resources for stress prevention, classroom demands and resources, job satisfaction, and intention to leave the field of teaching. Results indicated that teachers’ preventive coping resources and job satisfaction were positively related, whereas both constructs were negatively related to classroom stress and teachers’ plans to leave the profession.

School Poverty Status, Time of Year, and Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Stress.

The authors explored stress among 521 teachers in 16 elementary schools. They used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relation of school and teacher characteristics to reported demands and resources in the classroom. School-level predictor variables included spring vs. fall data collection, Title I status, minority percentage, the interaction between spring data collection and Title I status, and the composite achievement score. There were no statistically significant associations between Title I status or time of year for data collection and the Classroom Appraisal of Resources and Demands subscale scores. However, there were relations among minority percentage, the student achievement composite, and perceptions of the availability of instructional resources.

Validity Evidence for the Use of the Preventive Resources Inventory with College Students.

Abstract Measurement properties of scores from the Preventive Resources Inventory (C. J. McCarthy & R. G. Lambert, 2001), a measure of stress-prevention resources, were evaluated. Sample-specific construct validity of 3 primary scales u ”,(supported. A 4th. Self-Acceptance, functioned as a higher order factor. Differences were found between those reporting no psychological symptoms and symptom-reporting subgroups on all scales.

Ethical and Professional Issues in Experiential Growth Groups: Moving Forward.

The purpose of this introductory article is to provide a context for how experiential growth groups are typically used to train counselors, to preview the contributions in this issue, and to suggest future directions for researching and implementing such groups.

Designing Groups to Meet Evolving Challenges in Health Care Settings

This article provides an overview of the special issue on groups in health care settings and describes how each contribution addresses challenges and opportunities in the health care field for group work. Fundamental criteria for evaluating groups in such settings are applied to each contribution. Finally, trends and opportunities about the future of group work in health care settings are considered.

Relationship of Cognitive Appraisals and Attachment to Emotional Events within the Family of Origin

Appraisal theorists believe that discrete emotional states are the result of specific cognitive appraisals. This theory has not been tested with familyrelated events, especially negative emotions and the potential influence of attachment towards significant others. This study found that individuals cognitively process family events much as predicted by appraisal theorists and that attachment does not appear to have a global influence on this process. This finding suggests that cognitivefamily therapists can directly link appraisals with negative affect.

Challenge Course Participation as a Component of Experiential Groups for Counselors in Training.

Challenge course participation is becoming increasingly recognized as an alternative intervention for improving group functioning. A preliminary investigation of challenge course participation among students who later participated in an experiential training group as part of a graduate-level group counseling course is discussed. Findings indicated that students viewed the challenge course as expediting the development of cohesiveness and as a useful addition to traditional group work. Implications for experiential training groups and suggestions for incorporating challenge courses into experiential training groups are discussed.

Quantitative Approaches to Group Research: Suggestions for Best Practices

Rigorous scholarship is essential to the continued growth of group work, yet the unique nature of this counseling specialty poses challenges for quantitative researchers. The purpose of this proposal is to overview unique challenges to quantitative research with groups in the counseling field, including difficulty in obtaining large sample sizes and the violation of the independence assumption. Current practice is illustrated by referencing recent quantitative research in The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, and recommendations are provided for best practices in designing, analyzing, and reporting quantitative research.