A Systematic Review of the Quantity and Quality of Empirical Research Published in Four Pastoral Counseling Journals: 1975–1984

Abstract

Compares the quantity and quality of research in pastoral counseling journals to that found in similar journals in psychiatry, geriatrics, and nursing. Concludes from the data that pastoral counseling research is less likely to state hypotheses, to use control groups, to state a sampling method, to report a response rate, to evaluate at more than a simple point in time, or to discuss limitations of the findings. Infers that, given these factors, pastoral counseling has failed to develop adequately as a behavioral science. Critical responses follow the article.