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The Personal Styles Inventory (PSI), a self‐report instrument designed to measure enduring, commonplace personality characteristics in each of three domains—ways of expressing emotions, activities, and thinking—is reviewed. The development and structure of the inventory are described. Counseling applications discussed include the following: enhancing self‐awareness, identifying sources of stress, counseling about careers, understanding interpersonal relations, providing consultation, and individualizing interventions. PSI research relative to personality test correlates, learning styles, behavior disorders, counseling implications, and alcohol abuse and dependence is presented.

Research findings may be more publishable if significant results are reported. This type of publication bias would increase the likelihood of "chance" relationships being disseminated. The implications of these assumptions are empirically investigated in a correlational analogue study. A large number of significant relationships were found in several groups of subjects between their actual scores on 45 SVIB scales and scores on 10 "experimental" scales which were determined by a set of random numbers. Furthermore, "logical" factors were shown to underly relationships which existed among scores on a given random scale with its significant correlations to SVIB scales. Considerations in such overkill in simple correlational studies are the subject-to-variable ratio, variable independence, and more stringent probability levels.

The physical and psychological benefits of an 8-week individijalized exercise program for 83 "normal" adults were evaluated. The 49 who completed the program differed from the 34 dropouts on preexercise data only on persistence (p < .05), the pretest time spent in exercise, which indicated a possible motivational difference. Those who completed the program showed statistically significant improvements in terms of persistence (p < .001), fitness (p < .001), and physical self-concept (p < .001) and reduced psychological tension (p < .05), as measured by the Profile of Mood States. Persistence correlated significantly with vigor (p < .01), and fitness correlated significantly with both vigor (p < .05) and physical self-concept (p < .05). Analysis of subjects categorized by initial levels of fitness and stress showed that changes in stress following exercise occurred only for those who were below the mean of the sample both physically and psychologically prior to beginning the exercise program. A number of special strategies to motivate those clients who may benefit most from therapeutic exercise programs as an adjunct to stress management are discussed.

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