The person with a borderline personality is considered to be neither neurotic nor psychotic, but to exist somewhere in between these two diagnostic categories. Psychoanalytic theorists who have researched the phenomenon of the borderline personality have shifted their emphasis away from Freud's instinct psychology and toward an ego psychology…

An attitude questionnaire (accompanied by a student vignette) completed by 210 faculty members explored (1) their preception of the academic potential of LD students, and (2) their perceived ability to work with learning disabled individuals. Among conclusions was that university faculty are influenced by the presence of labeling information. (JW)

Evaluated relationships among Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) code types from the Gilberstadt and Duker and the Marks, Seeman, and Haller systems. Superordinate types were identified: neurotic, psychotic and sociopathic. Data from the MMPI do not support the practice of highly differentiated classification within the three…

Presents a model to account for the generalization of attributes from a sample to a population in the formation of stereotypes. Argues that stereotypes are heavily influenced by the attributes of those group members most strongly associated with the group label, and that stereotypes change only when disconfirming attributes are associated with…

Presents a definitional model to explain homosexuality and discusses its implications for practice. Contends that social workers must discard the traditional binary model of hetersexual versus homesexual for one incorporating relevant psychosocial factors including life experiences, social reaction, and association with others. (Author/JAC)

Presents case illustrations of five adolescents to demonstrate how parents can seek diagnosis of primary learning disability for nonlearning disabled children; how this diagnosis can be inappropriately used, and how the learning disability label can work as resistance by family when professional recommendations focus on need for individual or…

Examines competence in terms of practitioner's worldview. Explores the history of how frames of reference are influenced by secular intelligence and how imprecision of commonly used terms limits conceptual competence. Presents more precise multicultural lexicon as means of fostering critical thinking about competence in multicultural research and…

Introduces special journal issue devoted to dynamics of counseling when working with difficult clients. Presents overview of what is meant by difficult client and perspective on responsibility that counselors and clients have for use of this term in counseling practice. Examines concept of client difficulty from perspective of counselor and…

Examines the perspectives and practice orientations of professionals influential in local policy making and service delivery for the aged. Discusses how the negative attitudes of these individuals toward the elderly result in the implementation and perpetuation of inappropriate, and often detrimental, services. (GC)

Suggests a process model of deviance that allows contributions from different perspectives. The need for individual and group problem-solving strategies to negate identification with stereotypes, modifications of agency policy, public education, advocacy, or a combination of these may be indicated at different points in the process. (Author)

If research on personality is to be productive and progressive, it is necessary to make objectives explicit and to link abstractions with common experiences. Six levels of classification outline these objectives. Level 1 involves the characterization and classification of persons. Level 2 studies attributes. Level 3 is concerned with inferred…

Educable mentally retarded children who are mainstreamed are likely to have social problems due to personological concerns (maladaptive behavior, labeling) and environmental concerns (teacher attitudes and expectancies, peer attitudes). (CL)

Explores ways that school counselors and other school personnel can identify children of substance abusers (COSAs) and address the issues and concerns associated with identification and labeling. Reviews pervasiveness of parental chemical dependency and potential impact of parental substance abuse on COSAs. Discusses behavior patterns of COSAs…

Defines the adolescent sex offender as an individual whose problem is primarily moral and social. Discusses how individuals adopt and internalize social norms, emphasizing peer interactions, role taking, and collective behavior. Describes a treatment program which emphasizes the functions of labeling, group therapy, and structured living…

The paper examines the role the mass media play in the functioning of black families. Emphasis is on the perspectives and images of black families that are presented via commercial television, newspapers, and magazines. Divided into four parts, the paper discusses the following: (1) the theoretical framework around which the paper is centered,…