Science and practice cannot continue together without a major attitudinal shiA a broadening perspective of science and practice and how these two activities can be integrated to strengthen each other. This article represents the culmination of a 2-year project that examined the roles of science and practice within counseling psychology. The central goal of the article is to present (a) specific recommendations for promoting the integration of science and practice within Division 17 and (b) suggest specific strategies for implementing the recommendations.

This review concerns recent research on counseling as a social influence process. Studies published since 1981 are presented in two groups, according to whether they pertain to the first or second stage of Strong's (1968) influence model, and within these groups, according to the type of methodology used (interview and noninterview analogue studies and field studies) and the variables of interest (counselor, message, and client variables, and combinations of these). Then, the social influence literature as a whole is critically examined as to its methodological and theoretical adequacy. Major criticisms include the low external validity of the research, the disproportionate emphasis of the research on counselor perceptions rather than influence itself, and the weak connection between research and theory. Solutions are proposed for particular methodological problems, and recommendations are made for further research and theory development. The goal of counseling is to help people solve problems and cope with life's difficulties (Fretz, 1982;Heppner, 1978) or, in other words, to help people change. Questions about the change process guide the work of counseling practitioners and researchers alike. For practitioners it is a practical question: "What can I do to help this client to change?" But the scientific A Review of Recent Social Influence ResearchWe thank Monica M. Menne for her tabulations on some of the studies, Rebecca M. Nerison for her editorial assistance, and Joan Rosenberg for her stimulating observations about the influence process in counseling.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to P. Paul Heppner, 210 McAlester Hall, Psychology Department, University of Missouri--Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 6521 I. version of the question differs only in its generality and scope: "What can counselors do to help a wide variety of clients change?" Inquiry into the principles and processes of change is at the heart of counseling research and, as these questions show, vital to its link with practice.Social influence theory is one attempt to answer questions about the change process in counseling. Though influence has long been recognized--and denied--as an important part of counseling and psychotherapy (see Pepinsky & Pepinsky, 1954), formal articulation of the social influence point of view probably began with the publication of Frank's (1961) Persuasion and Healing. Research on the influence process in counseling began in the 1960s, undoubtedly stimulated by the attitude change Zeitgeist in social psychology, but also by Journal of Counseliog Psychology, 1989, Vol, 36, No. 3, 365-387 Copyright 1988 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0022-0167/89/$00.75 365 366 P. PAUL HEPPNER AND CHARLES D. CLAIBORN such writers as Levy (1963), Goldstein, HeUer, andSechrest (1966), andStrong (1968), all of whom advocated a connection between social psychological and psychotherapeutic research. The rise of social influence theory reflected a disenchantment with the crude outcome research of the ti...

It was hypothesized that Black students' racial identity would affect their perceptions of White counselors' interview behaviors. Pretesting on a developmental racial identity instrument placed 54 Black undergraduates at either the encounter stage, characterized by a strong concern with Black identity, or the internalization stage, characterized by a variety of concerns, not exclusively Black. These participants then viewed videotapes of one of two White female counselors who used either culture-sensitive or culture-blind behaviors in working with a Black male client. Culture-sensitive behaviors acknowledged and showed interest in the role of culture or race in the client's problem. Culture-blind behaviors minimized the importance of culture or race and shifted the focus to other factors. Results indicated that participants rated culture-sensitive counselors as more culturally competent than culture-blind counselors (p < .05). In addition, cultural sensitivity interacted with racial identity, with encounter participants rating culture-sensitive counselors the most expert (p < .025) and, marginally, the most culturally competent (p < .075).Participation in psychological counseling has been meager for this nation's largest minority group, Black Americans. Blacks, like members of other minority groups, make less use of counseling than Whites and in counseling are more likely than White clients to terminate prematurely, often after one session (Sue, 1977). There are several possible reasons for this lower level of participation. Some researchers have focused on race itself, suggesting that it might be more beneficial for Black clients to work with Black counselors (e.g., Griffith, 1977). Indeed, Black research participants have been found to prefer Black counselors (Atkinson, 1983). However, it is not clear whether race itself is a crucial component of a therapeutic interaction. Atkinson (1983) commented on the preference of Blacks for Black counselors and noted that racial similarity had not yet been linked to counseling effectiveness. To increase the utilization of counseling services by Black clients, it may be necessary to identify factors besides racial similarity that contribute to counseling effectiveness. Additionally, it would be useful to know how non-Black counselors can enhance their ability to work with Black clients.A number of writers have argued that it is important for counselors working with ethnic minority clients to be sensitive to each client's cultural milieu (Sue, 1977;Vontress, 1971). According to Vontress (1971), when ethnic groups exist apart from the majority culture over a period of time, different language, habits, personality characteristics, and values develop and affect behavior dramatically. Cultural differences can lead to misunderstanding between counselor and client, can interfere with establishment of rapport and trust, and can alienate the client from the source of help. These factors were cited by Sue (1977) to account for the higher termination rate among minority clients. Thus...

To explore the kind of training counseling psychology programs provide with respect to religious and spiritual issues, surveys were distributed to training directors or designated representatives of 69 counseling psychology programs in the United States. Responses were received from 40, or 58%, of the programs. Results indicated that programs offered relatively little in the way of formal course work in religious or spiritual issues. In addition, participants indicated that in their programs (a) religion and spirituality were often but not always considered a diversity issue; (b) knowledge about religious and spiritual traditions was not generally seen as important to the expertise of faculty members, practicum supervisors, and therapists; (c) religious and spiritual issues received variable attention in didactic and practicum training; and (d) there was considerable openness to research on religious and spiritual topics. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to counseling psychology practice, research, and professional identity.

The function of interpretation in counseling is examined from a point of view independent of its theoretical content. Although the form and content of interpretations vary considerably in practice, their essential feature is that they present the client with a way of labeling or construing events that is discrepant from the client's own way. Theory and research are reviewed to yield three contrasting models of the function of interpretation in the change process. The first is that interpretation content is irrelevant to change, which is instead due to attitudes conveyed by the counselor in the act of interpreting. The second is that any content, regardless of theory, can promote change by providing the client with a meaningful framework to use in understanding experiences and formulating solutions to problems. The third is that although the specific theoretical content of interpretation is irrelevant to its function, certain higher order content variables may be important. The relative merits of the three models of change and their implications for research are discussed.