This study investigated the relationships between client perceptions of therapist use of social influence strategies, therapist burnout, and clients' perceptions of the quality of their therapy. Scales were developed to measure personal coercive power, personal reward power, various forms of expert power, and compromise strategies. A scale was also developed to measure clients' perceptions of their therapists' burnout that contained a combination of modified items from the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1986) and original items based on stereotypical burnout behaviors. Research participants were 131 undergraduate students at the University of Pittsburgh who reported their experiences as therapy clients. Therapist use of personal coercive influence strategies and certain types of expert influence strategies were negatively associated with clients' perceptions of the quality of their therapy. Therapist use of personal reward influence strategies, compromise, and the therapist's reputation as an expert were positively related to clients' perceptions of the quality of their therapy. Perceived therapist burnout was positively associated with therapist use of personal coercive influence strategies, direct expert influence strategies, and indirect expert influence strategies. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Student affairs professionals seek innovative methods to enhance academic achievement for students. A recent study highlighted the need to bridge student development work with course curricula (Kilpatrick, Stant, Downes, & Gaither, 2008). This study also linked the importance of nonacademic cognitive variables, such as locus of control, to academic success. Group work in particular has been shown to promote academic achievement (Wegge, 2000). Counselors provide academic support groups and consult to apply group work in these settings. A solution-focused goal-setting group demonstrates a dynamic example of an academic support group that is interactive, student-focused, and useful in improving academic skills related to self-regulated learning.
Chemistry anxiety encompasses apprehension regarding learning chemistry, evaluation in chemistry courses, and fears about handling chemicals. Our goal was to ascertain the prevalence of these three types of anxiety in college students enrolled in a two-year college. In our sample, chemistry-evaluation provoked the most chemistry anxiety followed by handling-chemicals anxiety and then learning-chemistry. Females reported more anxiety about evaluation than males. Allied health majors reported significantly more fear regarding learning-chemistry than science majors. Participants who had never had chemistry reported higher levels of both learning-chemistry and chemistry-evaluation anxiety. Recognizing the existence of chemistry anxiety is the first step in reducing negative attitudes toward chemistry and perhaps increase student enrollment, success, and retention in chemistry courses.
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