Kenneth Urial Gutsch

Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral, Reminiscence, and Activity Treatments on Life Satisfaction and Anxiety in the Elderly.

This study involved an examination of effects of a cognitive-behavioral group condition, a reminiscence treatment group condition, and an activity group condition on anxiety and life satisfaction for senior citizens, aged sixty-five and older. No significant differences on life satisfaction and trait anxiety were found for the groups at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. A significant ANOVA for state anxiety at follow-up was followed by directional t-tests which were not significant in the predicted direction. The differences on state anxiety observed at follow-up appear to have resulted from improvement of the reminiscence group. Suggestions were made for further research on group treatment of the elderly.

The Effects of Self-Administered Cognitive Therapy on Social-Evaluative Anxiety.

Investigated the efficacy of self-administered cognitive therapy (RET) in the treatment of high and chronic social anxiety. Forty-five socially anxious volunteer students, who scored in the upper 15% of 570 students prescreened with the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, were matched on SAD scores and randomly assigned to self-administered cognitive therapy (RET), a self-administered attention placebo condition (Logo-therapy), or a no-treatment control condition. Pretest and posttest measures included the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Rotters Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. Results indicated that self-administered cognitive therapy significantly decreased social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation and also suggested a generalization of effects as trait anxiety significantly decreased. Comparisons of mean change scores with therapist administered studies lend support to the conclusion that self-administered cognitive restructuring is an effective means of decreasing social-evaluative anxiety. Mean change scores suggest that participants may have attained therapeutic benefits as a consistent trend toward decreased anxiety across variables.

Race and socioeconomic status as confounding variables in the accurate diagnosis of alcoholism.

Utilized two psychologists as actors in making four videotapes to depict background information and verbal modes of communication for alcoholics according to black-white race differences and high-low socioeconomic status. Forty graduate psychology students (10 per group) then were shown randomly one of the four recordings and asked to make a diagnosis. A significant difference was found for the effects of race, socioeconomic status, and race X socioeconomic status interaction on the correct diagnosis of alcoholism. Results were interpreted as suggesting that a clinicians personal biases and/or prejudices might extend into the clinical diagnosis and treatment of clients.

An investigation of relationships between level of alcohol use impairment and personality characteristics

Abstract This study sought to determine the relationships between levels of alcohol use impairment and personality characteristics. Subjects were 166 persons selected because of known or suspected alcohol use patterns. Subjects were administered the Alcohol Use Inventory and Personality Research Form. Six alcohol use groups were determined by the raw scores of the Alcohol Use Inventory. Multiple discriminant analysis was used to evaluate personality differences among the groups. It appears that at least 2 personality variables distinguish different drinking patterns. The variables of Aggression and Play (a composite variable of Affiliation, Order, and Play) appear to be indicative of alcohol use patterns and may provide a measurement of proclivity to them.

Training Counselors Using an Attitudinal Group-Centered Approach

Some years ago, Gutsch (1967) introduced the concept of an attitudinal group-centered approach to counseling. His rationale for this type of encounter setting was that it permitted each group participant the opportunity to explore his own unique world and to share with others those ideas and experiences which helped to shape this world. The difference between what was done in these attitudinal group-centered settings and what was done in other group encounter settings dealt primarily with purpose. The purpose of the attitudinal group setting was to provide a climate in which a person might potentially see himself as subject and object-i.e., a climate in which he was encouraged to look not only at his relationship to the world in which he lived and to those who were in it, but to the innermost relationship he had with himself. Ultimately, the greatest single difference between the attitudinal group-centered approach and other group approaches concerned itself with man’s inner search for identity-i.e., his search for some understanding of the very core of his existence-his relationship with himself-his eigenwelt. This does not mean that the peripheral concerns of man’s existence-i.e., man’s umwelt and mitwelt-were any less important, but rather that they were simply not the only modes of man’s existence.