4Understanding Power and Effect Size Provide an analysis of the implications of power and effect size on the interpretation and application of the research findings in one of the scenarios provided in the Introduction area of this week's discussion. Be specific and provide examples to illustrate your points. Readings Course Text: Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Chapter 5, `Experimental Designs` Course Text: Pyrczak, F. (2013). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation (5th ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing. Article: Sink, C., & Stroh, H. (2006). Practical significance: The use of effect sizes in school counseling research. Professional School Counseling, 9(5,Special Issue), 401411.

4Understanding Power and Effect Size Provide an analysis of the implications of power and effect size on the interpretation and application of the research findings in one of the scenarios provided in the Introduction area of this week's discussion. Be specific and provide examples to illustrate your points. Readings Course Text: Counseling Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Chapter 5, `Experimental Designs` Course Text: Pyrczak, F. (2013). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation (5th ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing. Article: Sink, C., & Stroh, H. (2006). Practical significance: The use of effect sizes in school counseling research. Professional School Counseling, 9(5,Special Issue), 401411.

rkns11 added on 09/22/13 at 01:39 PM (PST):

Week 4 COUN 6326
Scenario 1

In the following example, the authors examined the relationship between stage of change and working alliance. In this case, the authors used the Transtheoretical model of change. In this model, there are five stages of behavioral change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance) that people cycle through. The question posed by the authors of this manuscript was can counselors predict how well clients will form a working alliance based on the clients stage of change. Consider the following information from Rochlen, Rude, and Baron (2005) for your discussion board post. What other information would you need to make decisions about applying the data to practice?

Rochlen, A., Rude, S., & Barn, A. (2005). The Relationship of Client Stages of Change to Working Alliance and Outcome in Short-Term Counseling. Journal of College Counseling, 8(1), 52-64. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Relationship between stage of change and working alliance. The relationship between clients' stage of change and working alliance, as rated by clients and counselors, was examined in separate analyses of variance. The hypothesized difference between clients who scored highest on the Precontemplation subscale and clients who scored highest on one of the other SCS subscales was tested with an a priori contrast that compared clients designated as in the precontemplation stage with the other three groups combined. For the analysis of client-rated working alliance, a significant main effect was found for stage of change, F(3, 396) = 5.22, p


Scenario 2
Psychology in the Schools DOI: 10.1002/pits
Whiston and Quinby

In the following example, Whiston and Quinby evaluate the research related to school counseling effectiveness. In your discussion post consider the results and effect sizes of the studies reported. What conclusions do you draw about school counseling services?

Whiston, S., & Quinby, R. (2009). Review of school counseling outcome research. Psychology in the Schools, 46(3), 267-272. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Responsive Services
The responsive services component of a school counseling program consists of services to assist students in coping with immediate issues, concerns, and needs (ASCA, 2005). Typical modalities used in responsive services activities are individual counseling, group counseling, referral, consultation, and peer assistance programs. Whiston et al. (2007) found that responsive services produced an overall effect size of .35. It should be noted that elementary children seemed to particularly benefit from services designed to assist them in addressing problems with an effect size of .39. They found that only 10 studies assessed the effectiveness of interventions in the responsive services area with middle school or junior high students, with an effect size of .22. Whiston et al. also found a significant effect size (.34) for responsive services interventions with high school students.

Individual and Group Counseling. In terms of responsive services, some schools have developed groups related to specific issues, whereas other schools focus more on assisting students individually. The research findings are somewhat mixed on whether it is more effective for school counselors to provide therapeutic services primarily through group interventions or through individual counseling. Prout and Prout (1998) found that most research studies concerning counseling and psychotherapy in schools examined group approaches. Whiston et al. (2007) found that group interventions were often evaluated and produced a weighted effect size of .35, whereas only three studies investigated individual counseling. Other researchers (e.g., Nearpass, 1990; Wiggins & Wiggins, 1992) found that individual counseling is generally more effective than group counseling. Wiggins and Wiggins (1992) also found that counselors who predominately used individual counseling were more effective than those counselors who predominately used classroom guidance activities. This finding, however, should be interpreted cautiously because of methodological problems with the study and the age of the studies.

Borders and Drury (1992) pointed to a substantial number of studies that verified the positive effects of group counseling interventions. Whiston and Sexton (1998) found support for group counseling approaches for social skills training, family adjustment issues, and discipline problems. In particular, research indicates that groups designed to assist students whose parents have divorced have both short-term (Pedro-Carroll & Alpert-Gillis, 1997) and more long-term positive effects (Pedro-Carroll, Sutton, & Wyman, 1999). There is also empirical support for relaxation groups and cognitive-behavioral approaches to group counseling with high-school students (Bauer, Sapp, & Johnson, 2000; Kiselica, Baker, Thomas, & Reddy, 1994).


Scenario 3
In the following example, Segool and Carlson examined the existing literature related to using cognitive-behavioral interventions and SSRI prescriptions for childrens social anxiety symptoms. As you review the information for your discussion post, consider the implications for practice.

Segool, N., & Carlson, J. (2008). Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments for children with social anxiety. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 25(7), 620-631. doi:10.1002/da.20410.

Five cognitive-behavioral and five SSRI treatment studies reported changes in childrens social anxiety symptoms from pre- to post-treatment. Cognitive-behavioral treatment resulted in moderate to large decreases in social anxiety symptoms in all five studies. Effect sizes ranged from 1.110.39 [Masia et al., 2001] to 0.720.21 [PI; Spence et al., 2000]. SSRI drug treatment resulted in large decreases in social anxiety symptoms in all five studies. Effect sizes ranged from 1.8570.67 [Black and Uhde, 1994] to 1.070.27 [Chavira and Stein, 2002].

The mean effect size and the standard error of treatment on social anxiety symptoms was calculated individually for cognitive-behavioral and SSRI treatments. The mean effect size for cognitive-behavioral treatment was 0.860.11, indicating that across the five studies, cognitive-behavioral treatment resulted in large decreases in social anxiety symptoms from pre-to-post-treatment. The mean effect size for SSRI treatment was 1.300.08, indicating that across the five studies, SSRI treatment resulted in large decreases in social anxiety symptoms from pre- to post-treatment.

Cognitive-behavioral and SSRI treatments both produced significant decreases in social anxiety symptoms with respect to the null hypothesis that treatment resulted in no decrease in symptoms, t(4)517.58, P