Melanin distribution and sensitivity to group therapy

Student participants in group therapy were hypothesized to improve on three dimensions of behavior as a result of therapy. It was further hypothesized that improvement would be related to participant eye color, with dark-eyed persons demonstrating greatest improvement and lighter-eyed individuals demonstrating lesser improvement. Differences were also expected from Ss by program. Ss were 35 male and female master's level students in clinical, counseling, and educational psychology programs, ranging in age from 23 to 39 years. Dependent measures were collected before and after therapy with the Vriend and Dyer Scale, an instrument yielding three factors: Self Defeating Behaviors, Fully Functioning Behaviors, and Personal Mastery Index. The design utilized a 3 (eye color) X 2 (program) two-way ANOVA, fixed effects model. Significant main effects were found for Fully Functioning Behaviors: by eye color (p less than .002) and by program (p less than .03). No interactions or other main effects were found.