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The profession of rehabilitation counseling has undergone extensive empirical study. Absent from this research has been a theoretical basis for describing and understanding the profession and its associated work environment. The focus of this study was to further our understanding of the nature of the rehabilitation counselor's work environment and the person-environment congruence through the framework of Holland's career theory and the "Position Classification Inventory" (PCI). Data concerning the work environment of 366 rehabilitation counselors were collected using a Web adaptation of the PCI to empirically establish the Holland code for the prototypical rehabilitation counselor work environment and examine its congruence with the prototypical "Strong Interest Inventory" interest patterns. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

The vocational interests of rehabilitation counselors were explored by developing an occupational scale for the "Strong Interest Inventory, Revised Edition" (SII; 2004). A sample of 414 rehabilitation counselors who were satisfied with rehabilitation counseling as their profession completed an experimental version of the SII. Based on these data, the Rehabilitation Counselor Scale (RCS) was developed. In this article, the authors examine data on the characteristics of the scale, differences between males and females on this scale, and differences between privately and publicly employed rehabilitation counselors. Implications for recruitment and selection of new members of the rehabilitation counseling profession are discussed.

Using aggregate scores from 281 female and 133 male rehabilitation counselors, the researchers developed prototypical "Strong Interest Inventory" (SII) profiles. They used these profiles to explore the interests, preferences, and professional identity of rehabilitation counselors. Using the General Occupational Themes (GOTs), Basic Interest Scales (BISs), Occupational Scales (OSs), and Personal Style Scales (PSSs), which make up the newly revised SII, the authors obtained empirically defined prototypical profiles for female and male rehabilitation counselors. The Social-Artistic Holland-code dyad was a reoccurring theme across the each profile. Although there are differences in each of the SII scales across genders, the authors found congruence not only within the scales of a particular gender but also across genders. Consistencies and inconsistencies among the GOTs, BISs, OSs, and PSSs are discussed. Implications for counselor recruitment and practice are also discussed.

The results of the clinical versus statistical prediction meta-analysis support the longstanding finding that statistical methods are superior to clinical methods in making predictions. In this reaction, the authors discuss the findings from the perspective of the context of discovery and the context of justification, the client model-building process, bias in clinician judgment, and evidenced-based practice, and they speculate about why more clinicians have not made statistical methods part of their practice. (Contains 1 figure.)

A prototype is an ongoing, cognitive representation of common attributes and distinct characteristics that define an object or person. This mixed-method study applies the robust concept of prototype to examine perceptions of disability groups. Core, secondary, and tertiary prototype characteristics are described for six disabilities: schizophrenia, mental retardation, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, spinal cord injury, visual impairment, and hearing impairment. Similarities and differences among disability group prototypes are identified. The potential relationship between prototypes, attitudes, and subsequent judgment biases is explored. Examining prototypes might be an effective method for indirectly measuring attitudes toward disability groups. Implications for rehabilitation counseling practice and education are discussed.

The impact of addictions counselors' interactional style (confrontational vs. motivational), recovery status (recovering vs. nonrecovering), and nonverbal behavior (facilitative vs. neutral) on 116 clients' perceptions of addictions counselor credibility was examined in a fully crossed factorial design. Significant results were found, and implications are discussed.

Article is an exploration of some of the ethical issues facing rehabilitation counselors who provide clinical supervision. Ethical issues related to competence, evaluation and due process, dual relationships, confidentiality, and informed consent are discussed. (Contains 28references, 2 tables, and 1 appendix.) (Author)

Adults with disabilities (N=60) viewed videotapes portraying client-counselor reactions to examine the influence of counselor disability status and counselor reputation. A significant effect was found for counselor disability status. Counselors without a disability received higher ratings. There was no effect for reputation, and no interaction was found between disability status and reputation. (Author/MKA)

Explored issue of confirmatory bias in counselors' clinical hypothesis testing by examining the way counselors (n=84) remembered information about a client. Results indicated counselors remembered more confirmatory than discomfirmatory information. Suggests counselors need to be aware of these biases and should be trained to avoid them. (Author/ABL)

The importance of one's environment has long been recognized in psychology (Gottfredson & Richards, 1999; Holland, 1985, 1987, 1997; Lewin, 1936; Murray, 1938; Osipow, 1987; Zanskas & Strohmer, 2010; Zanskas [...], The purpose of this study was to establish the prototype work environment for rehabilitation counselors employed in the private-for-profit sector through the framework of Holland's career theory and the Position Classification Inventory (PCI). Data from a sample of 86 rehabilitation counselors employed in the private sector were analyzed following the administration of a web adaptation of the PCI. Results empirically establish the Holland code for the private sector work environment and examine its congruence with the prototypical rehabilitation counselor work environment. Implications for the education and training of qualified professionals are discussed.

We propose a prototype for a scientist-practitioner model of psychological assessment that is a reformulation of the Pepinsky's model of the counselor-as-scientist. We integrate with the Pepinsky's model theory and research on human inference, judgment, and decision making, research on threats to accurate clinical prediction (e.g., confirmatory hypothesis testing), and findings about counselor characteristics associated with effective judgment processes (e.g., cognitive complexity). Issues related to counseling psychologists' application of research findings and use of scientific reasoning in counseling practice are explored, including implications for training, research, and practice.

Explored the issue of confirmatory bias in counselors' clinical hypothesis testing. Recent research suggests that counselors are subject to a confirmatory bias when using information to test a client hypothesis. The current research tested the robustness of this finding by adding realism and accountability to the experimental situation. Two experiments examined the facts that experienced counselors recalled (a) about a coached client in a naturalistic situation, and (b) when they selected information from a client narrative when told that they would later be held accountable for their selection. In Experiment 1, experienced counselors recalled more confirmatory than disconfirmatory information from a coached client's live presentation of factors. In Experiment 2, counselors-in-training selected more confirmatory than disconfirmatory information from a case history despite the accountability implied by the experimental instructions. The authors concluded (a) that the confirmatory bias is a robust one that may be a natural part of any judgment situation and (b) that counselor education should explicitly train counselors to avoid this confirmatory bias.

We investigated counseling psychologists' (N = 165) vocational diagnostic and treatment decisions when vocational and personal problems are presented concurrently. Participants assessed the same vocational problem either alone or in conjunction with a personal problem of one-half, equal, or double the severity of the vocational problem. Without consideration for counselors' problem preference, ratings of the vocational problem were equivalent across the three personal problem severity levels. However, with preferences considered, counseling psychologists who reporter greater preference for working with personal problems, in comparison to vocational problems, were less likely to assess, diagnose, and treat the vocational problem than were counseling psychologists who reported equivalent or reversed problem preferences. This biasing effect occurred when the personal problem was of equal or double the severity of the vocational problem.

Assessed the vocational decision-making problems of rehabilitation clients (N=60). Revealed that decision-making problems of clients can be grouped into three areas: employment readiness, self-appraisal, and decision-making readiness. Suggested that vocationally decided and undecided subjects differ significantly in the extent to which they have problems in these areas. (BH)

Examined the preferred counselor characteristics of two groups: students with disabilities and students who were educationally and economically disadvantaged. Counselor characteristics were examined in terms of how preferences are differentially expressed for help with personal-social versus vocational-educational concerns. (Author/BH)

Used a role playing technique to examine the influence of social comparison on help seeking attitudes in 80 students. Results indicated that subjects who received serious social comparison information reported the highest depression scores and were more willing to seek counseling help. (JAC)

Presents two experiments concerning confirmatory bias in the way counselors collect data to test their hypotheses. Counselors were asked either to develop their own clinical hypothesis or were given a hypothesis to test. Confirmatory bias in hypothesis testing was not supported in either experiment. (JAC)

Examined the effects of the counselor's use of interpretation on participants' perceptions of counselor expertness. A main effect for interpretation type (propositional versus semantic interpretation) and an interaction between degree of discrepancy and interpretation type were found. (Author/BL)

Studied how individuals test hypotheses about themselves. Examined extent to which Snyder's bias toward confirmation persists when negative or nonconsistent personal hypothesis is tested. Found negativity or positivity did not affect hypothesis testing directly, though hypothesis consistency did. Found cognitive schematic variable (vulnerability for depression), related to confirmatory or nonconfirmatory personal hypothesis testing about depression. (Author/KS)

Examined vocational hypothesis testing by applying Snyder's hypothesis-testing research paradigm to a vocational task in two experiments. Subjects (N=106) were asked to evaluate the appropriateness of a specific occupation for themselves. Subjects tended to exhibit confirmatory hypothesis-testing strategies when relevant occupations were considered or disconfirmatory strategies when irrelevant occupations were considered. (Author/ABL)

Reacts to Heppner and Krauskopf's article on an information processing approach to personal problem solving. Commends the approach for relating to counseling much research on memory, social judgment, coping, information processing, and problem solving. Asserts that it remains unclear how information processing/problem-solving view of client behavior relates to theories counselors use in working with clients. (NB)

Surveys master's level rehabilitation counseling students and examines percentage of time students spend involved in client contact and paperwork during their internship. Time spent in client contact was nearly double that spent doing paperwork for this group. Data from a number of settings are discussed. (Author)

Explored the use of Crites' Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) with rehabilitation clients in evaluation versus training groups. Results indicate the CMI may be useful in tapping variables important in the progress of rehabilita- tion clients. Suggests group placement, content, and reading level must be considered and further research is needed. (JAC)

Examined the relationship between decision-making style, scholastic achievement, and vocational maturity for college students (N=64). Results did not support the hypothesized relationship between rationality and attitudinal and cognitive maturity. Scholastic achievement and lack of dependent decision style were found to be moderately predictive of vocational maturity. (Author/RC)

Studied competing process models of counselors' clinical judgment for their capacity to account for variance in prognostic judgments and further tested for parsimony. Patton discusses problems of logic and data analysis in the model's formulation. Provides Stromer's response to the critique. (RC)

Studied the influence of client-counselor group membership similarity, counselor reputation cues, and attending behavior on disabled subject's perceptions. Physically disabled adults (N=40) viewed a series of vignettes and rated counselor expertness and attractiveness. Results do not support the belief that client-counselor group membership similarity favorably influences client perceptions. (Author/JAC)

Examined the extent to which a cognitive style variable, integrative complexity, was related to synchrony between behavioral and self-report measures of anxiety in counseling students (N=26). During a therapy analogue two measures of anxiety were taken. Results indicated a substantial dependence of synchrony/desynchrony on cognitive style. (Author/JAC)

The field of rehabilitation counseling is currently experiencing a significant period of uncertainty with multiple challenges and potential changes that will likely have lasting effects related to training, service delivery, [...]

Information about the awards given by the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) for contributions in the field of rehabilitation counseling is presented. These awards include James F. Garrett Award for a Distinguished Career in Rehabilitation Research, ARCA Research Award, and the ARCA Counselor of the Year Award. A list of the recipients is also provided.