Patrick R. Mullen

Development of the Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale.

The authors present the development of the Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale (ELICSES). The purpose of this article is threefold: (a) present a rationale for the ELICSES, (b) review statistical analysis procedures used to develop the ELICSES, and (c) offer implications for future research and counselor education.

School Counselors’ General Self-Efficacy, Ethical and Legal Self-Efficacy, and Ethical and Legal Knowledge

School counselors encounter ethical and legal situations that necessitate the knowledge and confidence to apply decision-making skills. We report the findings from a correlational investigation that examines practicing school counselors’ (N = 287) ethical and legal self-efficacy, ethical and legal knowledge, and general self-efficacy. Higher ethical and legal self-efficacy was associated with higher general self-efficacy and ethical and legal knowledge. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Evaluating Evidence for Conceptually Related Constructs Using Bivariate Correlations.

ABSTRACT The article serves as a guide for researchers in developing evidence of validity using bivariate correlations, specifically construct validity. The authors outline the steps for calculating and interpreting bivariate correlations. Additionally, they provide an illustrative example and discuss the implications.

Establishing Content-Oriented Evidence for Psychological Assessments

ABSTRACT Evidence of validity is the foundation of developing and testing psychological and educational assessments. This article (a) introduces evidence of validity and content-oriented evidence, (b) reviews steps in establishing content-oriented evidence and sound psychological assessment items with case illustration examples, and (c) offers implications for counselors and researchers.

The Counseling Competencies Scale: Validation and Refinement.

ABSTRACT Supervisors evaluated counselors-in-training at multiple points during their practicum experience using the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS; N = 1,070). The CCS evaluations were randomly split to conduct exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in a 2-factor model (61.5% of the variance explained).

The Nature and Function of Meditation and Prayer in Childhood and Adolescence

This article explores the nature and function of meditation and prayer in childhood and adolescence. Research has consistently demonstrated that not only can meditation and prayer be practiced in these age ranges but that it is likely that youth already practice them or at least have had some exposure to them. We make the case that this is a critical area to understand to effectively apply the standards of competent clinical practice set forth by the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC, 2009) in its Spiritual Competencies, while discussing the benefits, limitations, and implications of meditation and prayer in childhood and adolescence.