Students (N=29) viewed three stimulus films and rated therapeutic effectiveness of the therapists. Students were subsequently rank-ordered on the basis of skill development and assigned to one of three groups (high, middle, or low.) Results revealed an overall higher evaluation for Rogers as compared to either Perls or Ellis. (Author)

Repetition in vocal characterizations and deviant listening perceptions are two major weaknesses of American acting. That is, voices and diction usually sound the same in everything the actors do, but no one perceives it. One reason listening is so deficient is because of the uninformed or incorrect concepts of those who practice or teach acting.…

Gestalt Therapy is in a growth crisis. In practice, there is an abundance of inadequate practitioners and trainers of Gestalt Therapy. In the literature, there is an abundance of introductory works, a paucity of advanced texts, and a misunderstanding and inadequate representation of Gestalt Therapy. Gestalt Therapy training is confused by unclear…

Argues that all forms of education have difficulty moving from knowledge to competent acting. Discusses practical exercise as an alternative to bridge the gap. Recognizes that exercises have to be embedded in trans-situational aims and planning and must include inert emotions. Proposes different training schemes for methodological-didactic and…

Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the effects of mental imagery during training on posttest scores. Speed of retrieval time versus accuracy is discussed; perception of imagery use is examined; and treatments of experimental and control groups are described. (23 references) (LRW)

Two studies investigated the effects of training on how accurately observers (college students) decoded a complex nonverbal stimulus. In the first experiment, observers viewed silent videotapes of 16 third and fourth-grade school children who were listening to an easy or a difficult lesson. Half of the children were responding spontaneously, while…