Li Fei Wang

Assessing the Impact of Parental Expectations and Psychological Distress on Taiwanese College Students

Current research seems to underscore the impact of parental expectations on college students’ psychological distress. This study examined whether parental expectations or living up to parental expectations served as better predictors on Taiwanese college students’ psychological distress. Study 1 developed and validated a scale for measuring parental expectations and living up to parental expectations. Results supported the factorial validity and reliability of the scale. The results of Study 2 suggested that perceiving oneself as living up to parental expectations, rather than parental expectations per se, is a better predictor of psychological distress. Implications of the results for counseling interventions as well as further research are discussed.

Sexual and Psychological Violence: An Exploratory Study of Predictors in College Men

M a l e violcncc against women is a significant causc of distress, rear, injury, and death in this country (Goodman, Koss, Fitzgerald, Russo, & Keila, 1993). Indeed, current statistics on rape and violence against women are staggcring. Approximately one in four women are raped during their lifetime, and one in cight women are raped during the time they attend college (Koss, Gidycz, Wisniewski, 1987). To date, social scientists have noted the problem but have had only limited succcss in reducing the prevalcnce of rape and violence against women (Goodman et al., 1993). Hence, this study sought to gain a better understanding of the correlates of sexually and psychologically violent beliefs held by men. We wondered if important psychological constructs, some recently dcveloped and some more established, might hold promisc in furthering our understanding and prediction of men’s violence against women. To accomplish this goal, three constructs pertaining lo violencc against women were identified. The first construct was rape myths (Burt, 19XO), defined as “attitudes and generally false beliefs about rape that are widely and persistently held, and that serve to deny and justify male sexual aggression against women” (Lonsway & Fitzgcrald, 1994, p. 133). Thc sccond conslrucl was adversarial sexual beliefs, dcfined as “the expectation that sexual relations are fundamentally exploitive, that each party to thcm is manipulative, sly, chcating, opaque to others’ understanding, and not to be trusted” (Burt, 1980, p. 218). The third construct was psychological violence perpetrated against significant others. Psychological violence includcs “abuses of power in which one person attcmpts to devalue, restrict, or violate another person to maintain control, advantage, or position” (O’Neil & Egan, 1993, p. 70), and has received attention for its possible connection to men’s violcncc against w o m n (O’Neil & Good, 1994).

Dimensions that characterize supervisor interventions delivered in the context of live supervision of practicum counselors.

This study empirically examined underlying dimensions from actual supervisory statements taken from interventions occurring during live supervision of counseling interviews. Multidimensional scaling revealed 6 dimensions: (a) directing-instructing vs. deepening, (b) cognitive clarification vs. emotional encouragement, (c) confronting vs. encouraging the client, (d) didactic-distant vs. emotionally involved, (e) joining with vs. challenging the trainee, (f) providing direction vs. resignation.