Damla Ergun

Opposition to equality and support for tradition as mediators of the relationship between epistemic motivation and system-justifying identifications

Individuals with a high need for cognitive closure, or a preference for knowledge that is certain and clear, tend to adopt conservative system-justifying ideologies. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the intervening orientations responsible for this relationship. While conservatism is anchored in values that both support tradition and oppose equality, we suggest that the need for closure is linked primarily with the former. In three studies, we found (a) that the need for closure is more strongly related to support for tradition than opposition to equality, and (b) that the indirect effect of the need for closure on conservatism is stronger via the former than the latter. By clarifying the links between the need for closure and multiple antecedents of ideology, these findings provide new insight into the psychological foundations of political belief by suggesting that the need for closure is not equally relevant to all aspects of system justification.

Clinical Supervisor Value Conflicts: Low-Frequency, but High-Impact Events

Although therapist value conflicts are well-documented in the counseling and psychotherapy literature, only a few researchers have attempted to comprehensively identify the scope of supervisor value conflicts. In this study, 17 clinical supervisors participated in focus groups exploring the types of situations that pose value conflicts, how they affect supervisors, and how they address them. Inductive data analysis yielded seven types of situations that create value conflicts: worldview differences; power differentials; managing disputes; clinical versus administrative roles; individual differences; threatened professional standards; and reconciling supervisee and client welfare. Themes are described, and training, practice, and research recommendations are provided.