also be given opportunities to suggest creative solutions to problems. And em-
ployers can do what they can to foster a sense of belongingness and feelings
of camaraderie among workers. In short, careers can provide an avenue for
personal growth as well as a means for paying the bills.
ASSESSMENT: THE Q-SORT TECHNIQUE
A persistent challenge for psychotherapists of all stripes is to demonstrate the
effectiveness of their treatment. Carl Rogers was very aware of this challenge
and strongly encouraged research on the effectiveness of person-centered psy-chotherapy. Too often therapy is declared a success simply because the therapist
and client feel there has been improvement. But without empirical evidence
of therapeutic change, Rogers argued, psychologists are in danger of foolingthemselves.
But how can a humanistic psychologist establish that a client is more
fully functioning or closer to self-actualization after a few months of therapy?One tool that has proven useful is a procedure called the Q-Sort . The Q-Sort
technique was developed by Stephenson (1953). The basic procedure has beenused to assess a wide variety of psychological concepts, including parent –child
attachment (Tarabulsky et al., 2008), defense mechanisms (Davidson &
MacGregor, 1996), temperament (Buckley, Klein, Durbin, Hayden, & Moerk,
Is the job a chore that must be endured 8 hours a day, or does this man get more out of
work than just a paycheck? According to Maslow, occupations should provide opportu-nities for personal growth and the satisfaction of higher order needs. Besides money, ajob can satisfy our needs for belongingness, self-esteem, and respect for others.Assessment: The Q-Sort Technique 297