The process of exploration in identity formation: the role of style and competence.

This study drew on two approaches to identity formation, each postulating differing but complementary exploration components (style and competence), in an effort to better understand the identity exploration process. The sample for this study (n=215) was socio-demographically diverse with respect to gender, age, ethnicity and setting, with participants drawn from two universities in two different settings (rural residential, and urban non-residential), with differing ethnicities (primarily non-Hispanic White vs. primarily Hispanic) and varying ages. Overall patterns of results revealed by hierarchical regression analyses were consistent with a process model of exploration and with the view that exploration is a multi-dimensional process comprized of multiple components. The findings also provide evidence for the utility of both of the critical constructivist and co-constructivist approaches to identity formation used in this study, and for the validity of the rich clinical/qualitative literature that gave rise to the construct of exploration.

Emerging views of the role of theory.

Offers a few broadly evaluative observations about what we have learned from the articles and commentaries contained in this special section. We discuss how--although the contributions contained in this special section might be viewed on one level as suggesting a lack of consensus concerning the role of theory--on a metalevel the contributions are suggestive of movement toward consensus. The emerging consensus seems to be that not only is theory alive and well but it is unlikely that we will ever be able to do without theory. However, our ways of thinking and talking about theory appear to be undergoing change; that is, the trend is in the emergence of theory as a guide for action or action-based epistemology. We conclude with ideas about future directions, including the call for methodological pluralism, theoretical pluralism, and metatheoretical development.

Treating anxiety disorders in children with group cognitive-behaviorial therapy: a randomized clinical trial.

A randomized clinical trial evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) versus a wait-list control (WLC) condition to treat anxiety disorders in children. Results indicated that GCBT, with concurrent parent sessions, was highly efficacious in producing and maintaining treatment gains. Children in GCBT showed substantial improvement on all the main outcome measures, and these gains were maintained at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Children in the WLC condition did not show improvements from the pre- to the postwait assessment point. These findings are discussed in terms of the need to continue to advance the development of practical, as well as conceptual, knowledge of efficacious treatment for anxiety disorders in children.

Contingency management, self-control, and education support in the treatment of childhood phobic disorders: a randomized clinical trial.

This study evaluated the relative efficacy of an exposure-based contingency management (CM) treatment condition and an exposure-based cognitive self-control (SC) treatment condition relative to an education support (ES) control condition for treating children with phobic disorders. Eighty-one children and their parents completed a 10-week treatment program in which children and parents were seen in separate treatment sessions with the therapist, followed by a brief conjoint meeting. Children in both the CM and SC conditions showed substantial improvement on all of the outcome measures. These gains were maintained at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Interestingly, children in the ES condition also showed comparable improvements at posttreatment and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Implications of the findings are discussed with respect to knowledge development and clinical practice.

Theory in child psychosocial treatment research: have it or had it? A pragmatic alternative.

In the area of child psychosocial intervention research, substantial progress in addressing challenging methodological issues has been made. In this article we suggest that continued movement forward requires maintaining a balance between methodological and theoretical issues, and that it would be advantageous to begin to think about matching advances in methodological sophistication by similar advances in theoretical sophistication. The need to advance our understanding of theoretical issues is especially important in light of the challenges raised by postmodernism, particularly as these challenges relate to knowledge development. We discuss these challenges and describe how a "pragmatic" orientation may be a useful way to respond to them. We also describe how a pragmatic orientation has been useful in our work in developing, implementing and evaluating psychosocial interventions for children with phobic and anxiety disorders.

The impact of exposure to crime and violence on urban youth.

Ninety-six students at a high school in a major urban setting were assessed for exposure to violent crime, resultant stress symptoms, and use of social support and coping strategies to moderate the symptoms. Rates of exposure and symptomatology were found to be high, and aspects of the moderating factors were significantly related to amount and severity of symptoms. Directions for further research are outlined and implications for intervention are noted.

Interplay of advances between theory, research, and application in treatment interventions aimed at behavior problem children and adolescents.

This article examines the important role that the interplay between theory, research, and application has in fostering breakthroughs in the treatment of clinical problems. This issue is presented in the context of an ongoing program of psychotherapy research that targets for intervention Hispanic behavior problem youth and their families. Findings and breakthroughs in structural family therapy, the measurement of family and child psychodynamic functioning, the development of culturally appropriate interventions, the role of attrition as a measure of outcome, and the investigation of theoretically postulated mechanisms in behavior change are discussed. Recommendations for future research directions are made.

Structural family versus psychodynamic child therapy for problematic Hispanic boys.

Structural family therapy, psychodynamic child therapy, and a recreational control condition were compared for 69 six-to-twelve-year-old Hispanic boys who presented with behavioral and emotional problems. The results suggest that the control condition was significantly less effective in retaining cases than the two treatment conditions, which were apparently equivalent in reducing behavioral and emotional problems as well as in improving psychodynamic ratings of child functioning. Structural family therapy was more effective than psychodynamic child therapy in protecting the integrity of the family at 1-year follow-up. Finally, the results did not support basic assumptions of structural family systems therapy regarding the mechanisms mediating symptom reduction.

One-person family therapy: a modality of brief strategic family therapy.

The One-Person Family Therapy approach to the treatment of drug abuse described here is based on the Brief Strategic Family Therapy conceptual framework. It represents an innovative integration of family therapy techniques that have proven effective in working with entire families and techniques specifically designed for use with one family member. OPFT appears to be as effective as conjoint family therapy with adolescent drug abusers and their families. It thus provides skilled family therapists (generally master's-level social workers and psychologists with training and experience in structural family therapy) with a novel and useful tool for carrying out family therapy, while minimizing the problem of retaining entire families in therapy. Further work should concentrate on improving our ability to engage families of drug-abusing adolescents in the therapy process, generalizing results to other types of samples, learning more about using an OP who is not also the identified patient, exploring the possibility of switching OPs, exploring the use of spaced followup therapy, and integrating OPFT and CFT sessions more fully. However, it is clear that OPFT is a practical, cost-effective, field-oriented intervention for use with drug-abusing adolescents.

Psychosocial predictors of service utilization among Cuban-American elders.

The utilization of service by Cuban-American elders is studied in light of the informal network and sociodemographic hypotheses extant in the current literature. In addition, the effects of psychological variables are assessed. The data from questionnaires administered to 88 Cuban-American elderly give partial support for findings previously obtained with elderly subjects. However, the results suggest that unidimensional hypotheses are inadequate for explaining service utilization. More complex models that account for multidimensional interactions between population-specific variables must be developed to guide future research and practice.

A measure of autonomy.

This article reports the development of a measure of indicidual differences in autonomous rule compliance. The autonomy scale (a short, easily administered CPI based test) was developed within the framework of a multidimensional, role-theoretical model of moral development. Five samples were used in the construction of the scale. Two of the samples (total n = 111) were used to derive the autonomy scale. The items for the scale were derived through the sequential use of two common item selection stategies: criterion keying and factor analysis. An initial set of 55 CPI items were derived using an "ideal" autonomy Q-sort profile as a selection criterion, and an Alpha factor solution was used to reduce this initial pool to a final set of 25 items. Several analyses were conducted using three additional samples (total n = 245) to estimate the reliability of the scale and determine its validity. The results of these analyses provide initial evidence for the content, criterion-realted, and construct validity of the scale and indicate that the measure has an adequate reliability.