ABSTRACT GROUP LEADERSHIP OF EXPERIENCED MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSLEORS by Robert E. Rice Middle school students experience biological, cognitive, and social changes as they struggle with identity formation, self-concept, self-esteem, and academic success. Psycho-educational groups are an effective and efficient method for confronting social/emotional or academic problems that prohibit middle school students from performing well in schools. An essential component in the successful counseling of middle school groups is the skill and experience of the group leader. Research on school-based groups has focused on all areas with the exception of group leadership. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how experienced middle school group leaders approach and conduct psycho-educational groups. This qualitative study uses a grounded theory methodology to investigate the practices, experiences, and perceptions of fourteen middle school counselors. The theory that emerged is grounded in the data from the participants and represents how they were able to conduct small groups in schools despite barriers many other school counselors experienced. Through educational leadership, relationship building, and an understanding of the systems at work in schools, these participants were able to establish a group program in their schools. The participants in this study also reveal the experiences they used to develop their skills as group leaders. The results of this study may have important implications to middle school counselors, researchers, and counselor educators in understanding the group and educational leadership skills needed to conduct effective groups in a middle school setting.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-55).

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF A COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAM ON THE LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS LEVEL AND AUTOMATIC THOUGHT PATTERNS OF FIFTH GRADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE STUDY CONSISTS OF TWO PHASES. IN THE FIRST PHASE, CHILDREN&#039 / S VERSION OF SELF-CONTROL (C-SCS) AND COGNITIVE TRIAD INVENTROY FOR CHILDREN (CTI-C) WERE GIVEN TO 232 FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS IN TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN ANKARA. THE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE AUTOMATIC THOUGHT PATTERNS (CTI-C) OF THE STUDENTS BY GENDER AND LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS (C-SCS) WERE EXPLORED USING A 2 (GENDER) X 2 (HIGH-LOW LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS) FACTORIAL MANOVA. RESULTS SHOWED THAT STUDENTS WHO WERE HIGHLY RESOURCEFUL SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN TOTAL, NEGATIVE VIEW OF SELF, FUTURE AND WORLD AND POSITIVE ViEW OF SELF, FUTURE AND WORLD. AN EXPEROMENTAL DESIGN WITH ONE TRAINING AND TWO CONTROL GROUPS (PLACEBO-ATTENTION AND NO-TREATMENT) AND THREE MEASUREMENTS (PRE, POST AND FOLLOW-UP) WERE USED IN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE STUDY. 45 STUDENTS (27 MALES, 18 FEMALES) WHO HAD LOW LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS AND NEGATIVE AUTOMATIC THOUGHT PATTERNS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE TRAINING AND TWO CONTROL GROUPS. &#039 / COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAM&#039 / WAS IMPLEMENTED TO THE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL TRAINING STUDENTS&#039 / OVER A PERIOD OF 15 SESSIONS. THE SESSIONS WERE HELD ONCE A WEEK AND LASTED IN 90 MINUTES. STUDENTS IN THE PLACEBO-ATTENTION CONTROL GROUP PLAYED NON-THERAPEUTIC GAMES LiKE LOTTO, GAME OF NAME-CITY-ANIMAL-PLANT, HANGING A MAN, SILENT MOVIE AND SOLVED SOME PUZZLES. THE NO-TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP SUBJETCS DID NOT RECEIVE ANY TRAINING. REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA COLLECTED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL PHASE OF THIS STUDY. CONTRARY TO THE EXPECTATIONS, THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT &#039 / COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL GROUP COUNSELING PROGRAM&#039 / DID NOT IMPROVE LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS LEVELS AND INCREASE POSITIVE AUTOMATIC THOUGHT PATTERNS OF STUDENTS.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-55).

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-55).

The purpose of this study was to determine if sensitivity training encouraged significantly more members to form mutually therapeutic relationships than did traditional group counseling, and to determine, if the members who formed the largest numbers of mutually therapeutic relationships increased both in self-awareness and self-actualization significantly more through sensitivity training than through the traditional form of group counseling. This study concluded from its findings that the sensitivity group members' relationships were more transitory or short-lived that were the relationships formed by the members of the traditional group. The formation of mutually therapeutic relationships, built on empathy, congruence, and positive regard, appeared to increase self-awareness, and a traditional form of group counseling may be better at achieving this than a sensitivity-training group. The sensitivity-training group appeared to deal best with material in the present, or "here-and-now," while the traditional group was more effective in dealing with intrinsic material outside the group and in the past.

The problem of this study was the determination of the relationship between Myers-Briggs personality temperament and extraversion-introversion, and group counseling norms, as reflected by the group counseling outcome measures: Survey of Attraction to Group, self and leader-report Interpersonal Relationship Rating Scale (IRRS), and Sociometric Choice Status Survey. The Mvers-Briggs Temperament Indicator (MBTI) and the four outcome measures were administered to a sample population of 103 graduate and undergraduate counselor education students after completion of a semester-long group counseling experience. Fifteen groups of five to nine members were surveyed. It was expected that group members whose temperaments were compatible with group counseling norms would be more likely to receive confirmation, support, and acceptance in the group, be attracted to the group, receive higher leader and self-report ratings of interpersonal skills, and be more highly valued by other members than would members whose temperaments were incompatible with group norms. It was also thought that extraverts were more likely to be attracted to the group, receive higher self and leader ratings of interpersonal skills, and to be more highly valued by other members than were introverts. No significant relationship was found between temperament and the four outcome measures. Possible explanations for this finding were discussed. However, mean scores for extraverts were significantly higher than mean scores for introverts on the Survey of Attraction to Group and leader-report interpersonal Relationship Rating Scale instruments. A related finding was that the NF temperament was overrepresented in the sample population of counselor education students by a factor of four. The INFP type was overrepresented by a factor of 16.5, and the ENFP type had the highest frequency of occurrence. Together, INFPs and ENFPs constituted 34 percent of the sample. In the general population, INFPs and ENFPs would be expected to account for only six percent of the total.

This study identified the practices and procedures of instruction that is being implemented by group counseling instructors at CACREP-accredited institutions. A survey questionnaire developed by the researcher was used to gather data from 160 CACREP-accredited counseling units across the United States. The survey was designed to collect input from group instructors on how the didactic, practicum, and experiential components of the master's level group course are being implemented. Three assumptions were made in conducting this study: 1.) The majority of master's level group instructors will report that they use a didactic component in preparing students to become effective group leaders, 2.) The majority of master's level group instructors will report that they use an experiential component in preparing students to become effective group leaders, and 3.) The majority of master's level group instructors will report that they use a practicum component in preparing students to become effective group leaders. The survey questionnaire and, consequently, the results were divided into the respective sections of didactic, experiential, and practicum. The results indicated that each of these components were utilized in the instruction of master's level group courses.

This study was designed to examine the degree to which a small group counseling intervention resulted in attitudinal and behavioral change with adolescent boys identified by their school principals as having conduct problems. An eight-week cognitive-behavioral intervention was co-led by pairs of student services personnel made up of school psychologists, school social workers, and school counselors. The anger management program, called "Better Ways of Getting Mad," was designed from Morganett's Skills for Living: Group Counseling Activities for Young Adolescents (1990). Participants were 87 sixth- or seventh-grade boys at seven middle schools in Prince William County, Virginia, who were not in any special education program. A pretest-posttest, experimental/control group design was used. Variables studied were the extent of the conduct problems measured by the number of discipline referrals and scores on the Conduct Problem Scale of the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale-39 (CTRS-39); the experience of anger measured by the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI); the expression of anger measured by STAXI; and the cognitive understanding of anger and anger expression measured by the Morganett inventory. Posttest differences between Experimental and Control groups were examined through analyses of covariance. The extent of conduct problems was found to be less for the experimental group than for the control group. A lower number of discipline referrals was also noted. However, neither of these differences were statistically significant. Students who participated in the counseling intervention did not show less intensity in state and trait anger. While students in the experimental group showed an anger expression index score lower than that of the control group score, this was not statistically significant. A significantly higher score in cognitive understanding was found in the experimental group. / Ed. D.

This study outlines and evaluates a school-based group intervention programme, offering support and teaching problem-solving skills, for children of divorce. The effect of the programme on children's beliefs about divorce and their self-concept is empirically investigated. A sample of 17 latency age children was divided into an experimental group and a wait-list condition control group. The results indicate that a group intervention programme can contribute towards positive changes in children's beliefs about divorce and improvements in their self-concept. Treatment effects for children of divorce are not only associated with the fonnal group intervention programme. Children in both groups improved on several measures from first to second testing and several explanations are offered for these findings. This study suggests that group interventions can contribute to improved adjustment outcomes for children of divorce, by helping children develop more realistic beliefs about divorce and by improving their self-concept / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science) in Mental Health