Richard G. Weigel

Small Group Research: Suggestions for Solving Common Methodological and Design Problems.

The quality of research on groups has been notoriously poor, perhaps because of antiresearch biases of group leaders, perhaps because it is perceived as a difficult area to study (Diamond and Shapiro, 1975; Dinges and Weigel, 1971). This article is an attempt to respond to the research and evaluation deficit by providing some methodological approaches that might encourage group researchers and practitioners to attempt high quality research.

The Marathon Group: A Review of Practice and Research

Public and professional interest have both been aroused over the last eight years by a new form of group practice involving intensive interaction for periods of six hours, an entire weekend, or more. The approach is called &dquo;The Marathon Group.&dquo; Extravagant claims have been made of its merits; e.g., George Bach once stated, &dquo;If all adults had been in a marathon, there would be no more war; if all teenagers had been in a marathon there would be no more juvenile delinquency&dquo; (Bach and Stoller, 1967). Others have reacted skeptically or with hostility to these claims, considering the marathon group to be just another &dquo;Southern California

Congruence of Spouses' Personal Constructs and Reported Marital Success: Pitfalls in Instrumentation

24 married couples completed a marital adjustment test and a measure of shared Personal Constructs. The number of shared Personal Constructs and marital adjustment test scores were not significantly related; nor was a significant relationship found between spouses responses on the marital adjustment test. In addition, no significant differences were found between the number of shared Personal Constructs for these couples and couples with members assigned at random. Difficulties in instrumentation are discussed.

John G. (Jack) Corazzini (1938-1999): Master Teacher, Scientist-Practitioner, Humanist, Visionary, Leader, Mentor, Pied Piper, “Good Father,” and Friend

By all rights, we should be presenting a Lifetime Contribution Award to Jack, instead of memorializing and celebrating his life and work. Jack died on September 23, 1999, from complications following heart surgery. I have before me a copy of my e-mail sent 2 days before: “Just learned you’re going to have one of your (heart) valves ground. I’m sorry to hear that you have to undergo such a thing. Are you getting piston rings, too? We survivors of obscure diseases should be exempted from that kind of maintenance work!” Whatever his bantering reply might have been, it undoubtedly would have closed with his blessing, “God love ya”—a cavalier though heartfelt artifact of his days as a Catholic priest. What follows cannot help but have some parallels with Jim Hurst’s thoughtful In Memoriam honoring Ursula Delworth in the May 2001 issue of The Counseling Psychologist (Hurst, 2001). Their deaths were less than a year apart and were equally premature and unexpected. The four of us were privileged to work closely together and to be influenced by one another in the productive professional climate at Colorado State University during the Camelot days of its counseling center and counseling psychology program of the 1970s (Morrill & Hurst, 1990).

ASSESSMENT OF PREFERENCES AMONG COMPANY NAMES BY SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AND FREE ASSOCIATION TECHNIQUES

Semantic differential and free-association techniques were used to assess preferences for two company names among 20 big game hunters (aged 20 to 43 yr.) from Colorado. One name had more positive stimulus value and more favorable associations. The two techniques provided both confirming and unique data and illustrated the advantages of multiple methods of measurement.