A study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of nontraditional and traditional counseling and instructional methods in meeting the socio-emotional and academic needs of nontraditional ("high risk") community college students. Individualized learner-oriented mastery instruction with emphasis on audiotutorial methods and a composite of counseling methods referred to as a "counseling for internality" strategy were selected as the treatment methods. Subjects were students enrolled in developmental studies programs at ten community colleges; colleges were assigned to one of four cells in the study design. Subjects were pre-tested with a variety of instruments to obtain measures of anxiety and locus of control, and subsequent measures were taken over a three-semester period. Data analyses indicated that traditional counseling and instruction initially produced greater increases in internality and decreases in anxiety but after two semesters fostered a movement toward externality and increases in anxiety, while the nontraditional methods were more effective over the longer period of time. Additionally, the most positive changes occurred in schools where the most humanistic atmospheres prevailed. Data are analyzed by sex and ethnic group and are presented in extensive tables. A review of the literature and study-related materials are included. (JDS)