Cognitive strategies and the client conceptualization process.

Used perspectives from cognitive psychology to (1) examine the manner in which 27 doctoral-level counseling psychology students formulated conceptualizations of a client and (2) describe cognitive strategies employed to accommodate additional information about, and observations of, the client over time. Ss read a brief paragraph about and viewed a 5-min videotape of a client being interviewed. Ss then answered questions about the foci for counseling this client and the questions they would ask. Convergent or divergent conceptual strategies were identified and were found to be associated significantly with Ss' amount of previous counseling experience and with the extent of their formal training. Ss with more experience showed greater early convergence. Ss' confidence in their conceptualizations was related significantly to gender and to amount of exposure to the client. Females were consistently more confident than males. Findings are discussed in terms of cognitive capabilities and of students' self-perceptions and expectations. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)