Multiracial Americans represent a rapidly growing population (Shih & Sanchez, 2009); however, very little is known about the types of challenges and resilience experienced by these individuals. To date, few psychological measures have been created specifically to investigate the experiences of multiracial people. This article describes 2 studies focused on the development and psychometric properties of the Multiracial Challenges and Resilience Scale (MCRS). The MCRS was developed using a nationwide Internet sample of urban, multiracial adults. Exploratory factor analyses revealed 4 Challenge factors (Others' Surprise and Disbelief Regarding Racial Heritage, Lack of Family Acceptance, Multiracial Discrimination, and Challenges With Racial Identity) and 2 Resilience factors (Appreciation of Human Differences and Multiracial Pride). A confirmatory factor analysis with data from a second sample provided support for the stability of this factor structure. The reliability and validity of the measure, implications of these findings, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
After they had learned exploration skills, 132 undergraduate helping skills students were taught to use the insight skill of immediacy. After training, students increased in self-efficacy for using immediacy, and catharsis and cohesion increased among lab group members. Students who completed training first (nondelay) had higher self-efficacy post-training than those in a delay condition before they had training. Self-efficacy for immediacy increased after lecture, modeling, and large-group discussion; decreased between lecture and lab; and increased after lab practice. Qualitative results indicated that practice was the most helpful component. Students with the highest initial self-efficacy and prior helping experience (PHE) had the highest post-training self-efficacy, whereas those with the lowest self-efficacy or the highest PHEs had the greatest self-efficacy increases. In addition, cultural background played a role in learning and using immediacy.
Individual (gender and acculturation), microsystem (social support), exosystem (socioeconomic status), and macrosystem (racism) variables were examined as predictors of career decision-making self-efficacy in a sample of 85 Vietnamese adolescents in the Washington, D.C., area. English language acculturation and peer support accounted for unique variance in the prediction of career decision-making self-efficacy. Implications for career counseling and future research are discussed.
Multidimensional scaling (MDS) and Pathfinder were used to examine changes in the knowledge structures of 9 group therapy trainees, and to examine convergence in the trainees' knowledge structures with one experienced group leader. Participants (experienced group therapist and group therapy trainees) judged the similarity of each pair of group members in an ongoing interpersonal process group early and late in a semester of group therapy training. As in previous research, MDS and Pathfinder analyses of these similarity judgments were used to infer the cognitive structure of the trainees and of the experienced group leader. These analyses suggested that (a) the dimensions used by the trainees to conceptualize group members increased in complexity with training, and (b) trainees' knowledge structures became more similar to the experienced leader's knowledge structure with training.
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