Nyaradzo Mvududu

Statistical Power, Sampling, and Effect Sizes: Three Keys to Research Relevancy

This article discusses the interrelated issues of statistical power, sampling, and effect sizes when conducting rigorous quantitative research. Technical and practical connections are made between these concepts and various inferential tests. To increase power and generate effect sizes that merit practical or clinical notice, not only must the research aims and associated design be well devised, reflecting best scientific practice, state of the art sampling procedures should be applied with sufficiently large and representative number of participants. Applications to research conducted in the counseling profession are included.

Factor Analysis in Counseling Research and Practice

This article summarizes the general uses and major characteristics of factor analysis, particularly as they may apply to counseling research and practice. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are overviewed, including their principal aims, procedures, and interpretations. The basic steps of each type of factor analysis are elucidated. For EFA, the methods of factor extraction (principal component analysis and principal axis factoring), retention, rotation, and naming are summarized. CFA’s basic operations (model specification, testing, and interpretation) are discussed. In conclusion, EFA and CFA are directly applied to the development of a counseling-related instrument.

Dispositional Forgiveness and Meaning- Making: The Relative Contributions of Forgiveness and Adult Attachment Style to Struggling or Enduring With God

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) continues to recognize the role of spirituality in mental health by including a V-Code (V62.89) for Religious or Spiritual Problem (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). As individuals may question basic religious assumptions following negative life events, this study examines attachment style, dispositional forgiveness, and spiritual response after negative life events. Analyses revealed that both forgiveness and secure attachment significantly predicted spiritual struggle and endurance. However, attachment style and forgiveness did not significantly combine to predict spiritual response. Results indicate that both attachment style and dispositional forgiveness are important in spiritual functioning.

Hope, Faith, and Statistics: An Examination of the Relationship

The role of faith in numerous aspects of the daily life of many individuals, including college students, cannot be overestimated. In particular, many Americans feel that faith is an integral part of their lives and helps them through difficult situations. This article examines the associations among attitude, anxiety, hope, and religiosity in a statistics classroom. Specifically, the study examines the impact of faith in fostering a hopeful outlook in a Christian university and a secular university. Surveys were distributed asking students to report their attitude towards statistics, dispositional hope, stimulus-specific anxiety, and religious motivation. Demographic information was also collected. Results indicate that the students at the Christian university reported more hope, a more positive attitude, less anxiety, and more intrinsic religious motivation than students in the secular university. These findings suggest that there are noncognitive factors that university instructors should consider when creating the learning environment. For many college students, statistics is a course that is very difficult and produces a great deal of anxiety.