Relationships among personality, empathic ability and counselor effectiveness

Problem The purpose of this study was to measure personality characteristics and empathic ability of masters level counseling students and then to determine the relationship of these dimensions to independent ratings of their counseling effectiveness. Relationships between personality characteristics and empathic ability were also examined as were differences in personality and empathy between more effective and less effective counselor groups. Method The subjects were 34 masters level counseling students enrolled in their first counseling practicum. They completed Form A and Form B of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), the measure of personality, and the Affective Sensitivity Scale, the measure of empathic ability. At the end of their practicum they submitted an audio tape recording of what they considered to be one of their better counseling efforts of the practicum experience. From each tape submitted three segments of three minutes each were transcribed and placed in random order on a master tape. The three segments were taken from the first third, middle third, and last third of each tape. The segments were rated by three qualified judges trained in the use of an adapted form of Blocher’s (1968) scale, yielding five ratings for each segment including Role Adaptation, Cognitive Flexibility, Perceptual Sensitivity, Involvement with Client, and an Overall Rating. Correlation coefficients were found among the 16PF scores, the Affective Sensitivity Scale scores, and the counselor effectiveness ratings. A stepwise backward multiple linear regression was computed to identify predictors of counselor effectiveness. Finally, t tests were applied to determine the significance of differences between the more effective and less effective counselor groups on the personality and empathy variables. Results 1. Fourteen significant correlations were found between personality characteristics and counselor effectiveness. Specifically, Factor A (Reserved vs Outgoing) correlated -.35 with Role Adaptation and -.34 with Involvement with Client. Factor G (Expedient vs Conscientious) correlated -.33 with Perceptual Sensitivity. Factor L (Trusting vs Suspicious) correlated .30 with Cognitive Flexibility, .35 with Perceptual Sensitivity, and .36 with Overall Rating of counselor effectiveness. Factor O (Placid vs Apprehensive) correlated .32 with Cognitive Flexibility, .36 with Perceptual Sensitivity, .37 with Involvement with Client, and .32 with Overall Rating of counselor effectiveness. Factor Q3 (Undisciplined Self-conflict vs Controlled) correlated -.36 with Perceptual Sensitiyity and -.32 with Involvement with Client and .29 with Overall Rating of counselor effectiveness. 2. Three significant correlations were found between empathic ability and counselor effectiveness. Empathic ability correlated .29 with Cognitive Flexibility, .36 with Perceptual Sensitivity and .30 with Overall Rating. 3. None of the correlations between personality and empathic ability was significant. 4. Three of the t values between the more effective and less effective counselor groups were found to be significant. The more effective counselors scored lower on Factor A (Reserved vs Outgoing), and higher on Factor L (Trusting vs Suspicious) and Factor O (Placid vs Apprehensive). 5. The stepwise backward elimination procedures identified several variables as significant predictors of counselor effectiveness. The best predictors were Factor A (Reserved vs Outgoing) and Factor L (Trusting vs Suspicious) of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, and empathic ability as measured by the Affective Sensitivity Scale. Discussion The results were discussed in terms of their relationship to other research and in terms of their implications for counselor selection. In particular, the research findings of the present study on the 16PF were found to be in direct contrast to those of Myrick, Kelly and Wittmer (1972). The differences were attributed to the different methods of rating counselor effectiveness; the present study used independent judges whereas the Myrick study employed supervisors\u27 ratings. The literature has suggested that independent ratings may be superior to supervisors\u27 ratings. The results also Indicated that the less effective counselors were more outgoing, more trusting, and more placid than those in the norms group for the 16PF and those classified as more effective counselors. It was suggested that individuals in counseling programs who are less effective counselors may deviate from the normal population in unrealistic and naive ways. Finally, the Affective Sensitivity Scale showed promise as a predictor of counselor effectiveness and as a discriminator between more and less effective counselor groups. Most noteworthy, however, was the finding that empathic ability as measured by the Affective Sensitivity Scale was unrelated to personality as measured by the 16PF. In view of this finding, it was suggested that personality and empathic ability may be independent factors related to counselor effectiveness. The implications of this finding for counselor selection were drawn

Bridging Physics and Biology Teaching through Modeling

As the frontiers of biology become increasingly interdisciplinary, the physics education community has engaged in ongoing efforts to make physics classes more relevant to life sciences majors. These efforts are complicated by the many apparent differences between these fields, including the types of systems that each studies, the behavior of those systems, the kinds of measurements that each makes, and the role of mathematics in each field. Nonetheless, physics and biology are both sciences that rely on observations and measurements to construct models of the natural world. In the present theoretical article, we propose that efforts to bridge the teaching of these two disciplines must emphasize shared scientific practices, particularly scientific modeling. We define modeling using language common to both disciplines and highlight how an understanding of the modeling process can help reconcile apparent differences between the teaching of physics and biology. We elaborate how models can be used for explanatory, predictive, and functional purposes and present common models from each discipline demonstrating key modeling principles. By framing interdisciplinary teaching in the context of modeling, we aim to bridge physics and biology teaching and to equip students with modeling competencies applicable across any scientific discipline.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, 3 table

A comparative genomics screen identifies a Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 sodM-like gene strongly expressed within host plant nodules

Background We have used the genomic data in the Integrated Microbial Genomes system of the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute to make predictions about rhizobial open reading frames that play a role in nodulation of host plants. The genomic data was screened by searching for ORFs conserved in α-proteobacterial rhizobia, but not conserved in closely-related non-nitrogen-fixing α-proteobacteria. Results Using this approach, we identified many genes known to be involved in nodulation or nitrogen fixation, as well as several new candidate genes. We knocked out selected new genes and assayed for the presence of nodulation phenotypes and/or nodule-specific expression. One of these genes, SMc00911, is strongly expressed by bacterial cells within host plant nodules, but is expressed minimally by free-living bacterial cells. A strain carrying an insertion mutation in SMc00911 is not defective in the symbiosis with host plants, but in contrast to expectations, this mutant strain is able to out-compete the S. meliloti 1021 wild type strain for nodule occupancy in co-inoculation experiments. The SMc00911 ORF is predicted to encode a “SodM-like” (superoxide dismutase-like) protein containing a rhodanese sulfurtransferase domain at the N-terminus and a chromate-resistance superfamily domain at the C-terminus. Several other ORFs (SMb20360, SMc01562, SMc01266, SMc03964, and the SMc01424-22 operon) identified in the screen are expressed at a moderate level by bacteria within nodules, but not by free-living bacteria. Conclusions Based on the analysis of ORFs identified in this study, we conclude that this comparative genomics approach can identify rhizobial genes involved in the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with host plants, although none of the newly identified genes were found to be essential for this process

The Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX): A test-bed for developing urban greenhouse gas emission measurements

The objective of the Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX) is to develop, evaluate and improve methods for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cities. INFLUX’s scientific objectives are to quantify CO2 and CH4 emission rates at 1 km2 resolution with a 10% or better accuracy and precision, to determine whole-city emissions with similar skill, and to achieve high (weekly or finer) temporal resolution at both spatial resolutions. The experiment employs atmospheric GHG measurements from both towers and aircraft, atmospheric transport observations and models, and activity-based inventory products to quantify urban GHG emissions. Multiple, independent methods for estimating urban emissions are a central facet of our experimental design. INFLUX was initiated in 2010 and measurements and analyses are ongoing. To date we have quantified urban atmospheric GHG enhancements using aircraft and towers with measurements collected over multiple years, and have estimated whole-city CO2 and CH4 emissions using aircraft and tower GHG measurements, and inventory methods. Significant differences exist across methods; these differences have not yet been resolved; research to reduce uncertainties and reconcile these differences is underway. Sectorally- and spatially-resolved flux estimates, and detection of changes of fluxes over time, are also active research topics. Major challenges include developing methods for distinguishing anthropogenic from biogenic CO2 fluxes, improving our ability to interpret atmospheric GHG measurements close to urban GHG sources and across a broader range of atmospheric stability conditions, and quantifying uncertainties in inventory data products. INFLUX data and tools are intended to serve as an open resource and test bed for future investigations. Well-documented, public archival of data and methods is under development in support of this objective

Assessing the optimized precision of the aircraft mass balance method for measurement of urban greenhouse gas emission rates through averaging

To effectively address climate change, aggressive mitigation policies need to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Anthropogenic carbon emissions are mostly generated from urban environments, where human activities are spatially concentrated. Improvements in uncertainty determinations and precision of measurement techniques are critical to permit accurate and precise tracking of emissions changes relative to the reduction targets. As part of the INFLUX project, we quantified carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) emission rates for the city of Indianapolis by averaging results from nine aircraft-based mass balance experiments performed in November-December 2014. Our goal was to assess the achievable precision of the aircraft-based mass balance method through averaging, assuming constant CO2, CH4 and CO emissions during a three-week field campaign in late fall. The averaging method leads to an emission rate of 14,600 mol/s for CO2, assumed to be largely fossil-derived for this period of the year, and 108 mol/s for CO. The relative standard error of the mean is 17% and 16%, for CO2 and CO, respectively, at the 95% confidence level (CL), i.e. a more than 2-fold improvement from the previous estimate of ~40% for single-flight measurements for Indianapolis. For CH4, the averaged emission rate is 67 mol/s, while the standard error of the mean at 95% CL is large, i.e. ±60%. Given the results for CO2 and CO for the same flight data, we conclude that this much larger scatter in the observed CH4 emission rate is most likely due to variability of CH4 emissions, suggesting that the assumption of constant daily emissions is not correct for CH4 sources. This work shows that repeated measurements using aircraft-based mass balance methods can yield sufficient precision of the mean to inform emissions reduction efforts by detecting changes over time in urban emissions

Structural Mechanism of Laforin Function in Glycogen Dephosphorylation and Lafora Disease

Glycogen is the major mammalian glucose storage cache and is critical for energy homeostasis. Glycogen synthesis in neurons must be tightly controlled due to neuronal sensitivity to perturbations in glycogen metabolism. Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal, congenital, neurodegenerative epilepsy. Mutations in the gene encoding the glycogen phosphatase laforin result in hyperphosphorylated glycogen that forms water-insoluble inclusions called Lafora bodies (LBs). LBs induce neuronal apoptosis and are the causative agent of LD. The mechanism of glycogen dephosphorylation by laforin and dysfunction in LD is unknown. We report the crystal structure of laforin bound to phosphoglucan product, revealing its unique integrated tertiary and quaternary structure. Structure-guided mutagenesis combined with biophysical and biochemical analyses reveal the basis for normal function of laforin in glycogen metabolism. Analyses of LD patient mutations define the mechanism by which subsets of mutations disrupt laforin function. These data provide fundamental insights connecting glycogen metabolism to neurodegenerative disease

Atomic Resonance and Scattering

Contains reports on nine research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant PHY79-09743)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY82-10486)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-83-K-0003)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-79-C-0183)National Bureau of Standards (Grant NB83-NAHA-4058)National Science Foundation (Grant CHE79-02967-A04)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY83-07172)Joint Services Electronics Program (Grant DAAG29-83-K-0003

Atomic Resonance and Scattering

Contains reports on eight research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant PHY83-06273)National Bureau of Standards (Grant NB83-NAHA-4058)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY84-11483)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-83-K-0003)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract NO0014-79-C-0183)U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-83-K-0695)National Science Foundation (Grant PHY83-07172-A01

Different paths to the modern state in Europe: the interaction between domestic political economy and interstate competition

Theoretical work on state formation and capacity has focused mostly on early modern Europe and on the experience of western European states during this period. While a number of European states monopolized domestic tax collection and achieved gains in state capacity during the early modern era, for others revenues stagnated or even declined, and these variations motivated alternative hypotheses for determinants of fiscal and state capacity. In this study we test the basic hypotheses in the existing literature making use of the large date set we have compiled for all of the leading states across the continent. We find strong empirical support for two prevailing threads in the literature, arguing respectively that interstate wars and changes in economic structure towards an urbanized economy had positive fiscal impact. Regarding the main point of contention in the theoretical literature, whether it was representative or authoritarian political regimes that facilitated the gains in fiscal capacity, we do not find conclusive evidence that one performed better than the other. Instead, the empirical evidence we have gathered lends supports to the hypothesis that when under pressure of war, the fiscal performance of representative regimes was better in the more urbanized-commercial economies and the fiscal performance of authoritarian regimes was better in rural-agrarian economie