Study of variables related to client engagement using practicum trainees and experienced clinicians.

Examined the relationship between (1) therapist understanding of, preparation for, and education of clients, and duration of initial interview and (2) engagement of clients for more than 1 session. Questionnaires were given to 2 male and 2 female psychotherapy practicum trainees, 2 male and 3 female experienced psychologists, and their 238 clients (84 male and 154 female college students). Engagement interviews were significantly longer and more instructive than nonengagement interviews. Female therapists were rated as equally understanding by clients of both genders, but male therapists were rated as less understanding by female clients. Professional females were the highest engaging therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential effects of self-disclosing versus self-involving counselor statements across counselor–client gender pairings.

60 male and 60 female undergraduates listened to 1 of 8 audiotaped recordings of a counseling interview between either an experienced male or female counselor and a male client, for male Ss, or a female client, for female Ss. One half of the male and female Ss heard a tape containing counselor self-disclosure statements; the other half heard a tape containing counselor self-involving statements. Ss rated counselors' expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness, and generated written responses to each self-disclosing or self-involving counselor statement. Across all counselor–client gender pairings, self-involving counselors were rated as significantly more expert, attractive, and trustworthy than were self-disclosing counselors. Further, client responses to self-disclosing counselor statements contained significantly more questions about the counselors, were significantly longer responses, and were significantly more likely to be phrased in the past or future rather than in the present tense. Finally, client responses to the self-involving counselor statements contained significantly more client self-referents. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of client socioeconomic status on selected behaviors, attitudes, and decisions of counselors.

Seven male and 9 female graduate students in counseling psychology were asked to interview an actor and an actress whom they believed to be real clients. To half of the counselors, the players posed as well-to-do individuals, and to half they posed as working class individuals. They briefly mentioned their socioeconomic status at the beginning of the interview and then told the counselor about some of the problems they were experiencing. When the clients were presented as having lower status, a significant correlation coefficient existed between (a) the counselor's self-reported degree of personality similarity to the client and the counselor's self-reported liking for the client, and (b) the counselor's self-reported liking for the client and the counselor's estimate that the client would benefit from long-term counseling. No significant correlation coefficient existed for data collected during high-status interviews. These results suggest that counselors may unconsciously employ a different decision-making process for high- and low-status clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors related to client return rate following intake.

Examined the relationship of client sex, intake counselor sex and experience level, and the sex of the counselor to whom the client was referred to the percentages of clients returning for counseling following an intake interview. In addition, the effect on return rate of referral to another counselor vs continuation with the counselor seen at intake was examined. Results from 67 male and 74 female counseling center clients and 25 regular counseling staff indicate that clients of both sexes were significantly less likely to return when initially interviewed by male rather than female intake counselors. Further, clients referred by male intake counselors to other male counselors were significantly less likely to return than were clients seen by and/or referred to female counselors. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client and counselor characteristics and engagement in counseling.

Examined relations among various client and counselor characteristics and engagement in counseling for more than 1 session with 5 female and 4 male practicum counselors and 203 of their clients (128 women, 75 men) who had come to a university counseling center for the 1st time. After the initial interview, clients rated counselors' interest, helpfulness, competence, warmth, and genuineness; counselors rated clients' verbalness, intelligence, capacity for insight, likability, and the severity of clients' problems. Clients also indicated the extent to which counselors identified concerns for which the clients did not initially seek counseling. Findings show that 71 clients returned for more than 1 counseling session. Counselors' perceptions of clients as more disturbed and counselors' desire to see the clients were positively associated with clients' returning for counseling after intake. Identification of concerns for clients by counselors at intake was also positively related to engagement in counseling. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of counselor sex and sex role and client sex on clients' perceptions and self-disclosure in a counseling analogue study.

Studied the effects of client sex and counselor sex and sex role on the counseling relationship, using an analogue format in which 35 male and 39 female undergraduate students participated in simulated counseling interviews. Ss were stratified by sex and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: (a) masculine male counselor, (b) feminine male counselor, (c) masculine female counselor, and (d) feminine female counselor. At the conclusion of the interview, the S completed the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (Form OS-M-64) and a questionnaire assessing the S's satisfaction with the counseling session. The audiotapes of the sessions were rated by trained judges for (a) positive affective self-references, (b) negative affective self-references, and (c) total non-affective self-references of the Ss. Male Ss were more satisfied with the counseling process than female Ss. Male Ss indicated greater satisfaction and a higher level of counselor regard with feminine counselors than with masculine counselors, regardless of counselor sex, but female Ss indicated greater satisfaction and a higher level of counselor regard with masculine counselors than with feminine counselors, regardless of counselor sex. Male Ss talked most about themselves with feminine female counselors and least about themselves with masculine female counselors, while female Ss talked most about themselves with feminine male counselors and least about themselves with masculine male counselors. These findings are related to the feminist pleas for same-sex pairing in the counseling relationship. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An individualized, problem-oriented, self-report of change as a follow-up of a university counseling service.

Using a target-complaint approach, an instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of a counseling service was constructed on which clients stated in their own words, and then rated, the severity of their presenting problem at the initial interview. A follow-up questionnaire allowed a self-report measure of change (as compared to satisfaction) to be constructed which was then used to assess the effectiveness of the counseling service. In general, this procedure was successful and allowed flexibility in data analysis, making it adaptable to different counseling situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of briefing upon client satisfaction with the initial counseling contact.

Administered the Counseling Readiness scale of the Adjective Check List to 44 male and 41 female student naive clients at a counseling center. Half of the Ss were then provided relevant information about therapist directive-nondirective behavior prior to initial contact. Results show female Ss who had been briefed and were high in counseling readiness were most satisfied with initial contacts, and able to elicit more directive interviewer behavior. While briefing failed to influence the initial subjective satisfaction of male and female clients with low-counseling readiness, it did significantly reduce the incidence of early termination in this group. (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing the effects of an affective and a behavioral counselor style on client interview behavior.

Examined the effects of affective and behavioral interview styles on client environmental contingency; goal-related, action-step-related, and self-reference affect; and time-oriented statements. 24 female student teachers were assigned to 2 treatment conditions for 2 25-min interviews scheduled 1 wk apart. Only half of the Ss experienced the counselor style they had preferred during an earlier sampling study. The 7 verbal dependent variables were subjected to an analysis of variance for a 2 (Styles) * 2 (Preference) * 2 (experimenters) factorial design. The behavioral style significantly increased client environmental contingency, goal-related, and action-step-related statements. Results show that counselor interview styles differentially prepare clients to describe their behavior in specific behavioral terms and engage in goal-setting and action-step-planning phases of counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Female counselor–client dyads: Effects of counselor age, client marital status, and intimacy level of presenting problem on perceptions of counselors.

Explored the impact of counselor age, level of intimacy of clients' presenting problems, and client marital status on perception of counselors and the counseling relationship with 48 married females (mean age 21.9 yrs) and 48 unmarried females (mean age 26.3 yrs). Ss viewed a series of 3 videotapes, which were counterbalanced for level of intimacy of client's presenting problems and depicted initial interviews between young female clients and either younger or older female counselors. After viewing each individual vignette, Ss completed a counselor rating form, a client satisfaction form, and manipulation checks for presenting problem intimacy and counselor age. Overall, differences in presenting problems and counselor age were perceived as intended. Ss' marital status was unrelated to any measures. Counselors were judged as most expert, attractive, and trustworthy when dealing with presenting problems that were least intimate. Ss anticipated greater satisfaction with younger rather than older counselors only for the least intimate presenting problem. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of touch on self-exploration and the therapeutic relationship.

Used 3 response measures to compare touch and no touch in an initial interview: the Depth of Self-Exploration Scale (used for rating clients' self-exploration), the Relationship Inventory (completed by both counselors and clients), and the Relationship Questionnaire (completed by clients). Ss were the 1st 20 female undergraduates seeking personal counseling. A 24-yr-old male and a 32-yr-old female graduate student served as counselors. Significant differences at the .01 level were found between touched and nontouched Ss for depth of self-exploration: Ss who were touched engaged in more self-exploration than Ss who were not touched. No significant differences were found between touch and no-touch groups on the measures of perception of relationship. There were no significant differences between the 2 counselors and no interaction effects for any of the response measures. (30 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mutational analysis of the hMLH1 gene using an automated two-dimensional DNA typing system

Directiveness and nondirectiveness are considered here as psychological phenomena and separated from the issue of giving or withholding advice. The former is a form of persuasive communication involving various combinations of deception, coercion, and threat, whereas the latter describes procedures that promote and enhance the autonomy and self-directedness of clients. Examples are given showing that professionals have considerable difficulty dealing with relatively simple, common issues arising in genetic counseling. It is suggested that many, if not most, problems involving the issue of nondirectiveness arise because of inadequacies in applying basic counseling skills. Several examples are given of nondirective counseling in situations involving direct questions and the proffering of "advice." The need to raise standards in counseling training is underscored if the field of genetic counseling is to remain nondirective.     

Counselor gender, type of problem, and expectations about counseling.

100 male and 100 female college students were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental conditions—female counseling psychologist (CP)/career or vocational concern (CVC); male CP/CVC; female CP/person concern (PC); or male CP/PC—and responded to an expectations-about-counseling questionnaire that included sex of CP and type of problem. Results of a MANOVA revealed a significant main effect for S Gender; no other main effects were found. Females had significantly higher expectations for the client attitudes/behaviors of motivation, openness, and responsibility and for the CP attitudes of acceptance, confrontation, and genuineness. Females also expected more attractive and trustworthy CPs than did males, expected more immediacy in the counseling process, and had a more positive outcome expectancy. Males expected CPs to be more directive and self-disclosing than did females. The 2 groups did not differ in their expectations for CP empathy, expertness, and concreteness. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Session depth and smoothness in relation to the concept of engagement in counseling.

Investigated the relation of client-counselor evaluation of initial interview to client return for another session. At the end of the initial session, 5 professionals, 5 practicum trainees, and their 290 college-student clients completed the depth and smoothness indexes of the Session Evaluation Questionnaire (W. B. Stiles; see record 1980-12384-001). Clients also completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, and counselors completed items from the Pre-Counseling Assessment Blank (C. J. Gelso and D. H. Johnson, 1983). The duration of the intake interview was recorded. Client return was positively related to: longer interviews; deeper interviews, as rated by both client and counselor; and greater client satisfaction, disturbance, and motivation. The results are discussed in relation to the concept that the initial session represents an engagement session when clients return for more sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body image, self-esteem, expectations, self-assessments, and actual success in a simulated job interview.

98 female undergraduates completed the Body Image Satisfaction Scale, Self-Cathexis Scale, Janis-Field-Eagly Self-Esteem Scale, and a job interview performance expectation scale prior to participating in a 15-min simulated job interview. After the job interviews, Ss rated their own performance. Two judges independently rated each S's performance by viewing videotapes of the job interviews. Expectations for job interview success were significantly related to both body satisfaction and self-esteem. Job interview self-ratings and the tendency to overrate or underestimate how well one actually performed were significantly related to self-esteem but not to body satisfaction. Body satisfaction was found to be subsumed by self-esteem in ability to predict interview expectations and self-assessments. Actual quality of interview performance was not related to either self-esteem or body attitudes. Discussion focuses on self-esteem consistency theory and implications for assisting applicants to assess more accurately their behavior in actual job interviews. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Background music and counseling interaction.

Attempted to determine what effect different types of background music might have upon counseling interaction in initial interviews. Ss were 6 female graduate students acting as counselors, and 18 female undergraduates acting as clients. Each counselor interviewed 3 clients under conditions of soothing music, stimulating music, or no music. Results indicate that soothing music promoted more interaction and more affective interaction than either stimulating music or no music. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and relational communication patterns in counseling.

Studied the influence of counselor and client sex on relational communication patterns in counseling using a systems theory framework. 72 audiotaped intake interviews (primarily of undergraduate clients) of 20 female and 16 male counselors, each of whom interacted with 1 male and 1 female client, were analyzed by the rational communication coding system developed by L. Rogers and R. Farace (1975). The constructs of complementarity and symmetry are operationalized by the system. Results show that transactions involving male clients were characterized by more complementary exchanges in which the use of questions and the provisions of answers provided a basis for attempts to assert or relinquish control in the relationship. Female clients and counselors were found to share more neutral messages in which the issue of control was less salient. Both counselor sex and client sex were significant factors in participants' perceptions of each other during intake. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mexican-American acculturation, counselor ethnicity, counseling style, and perceived counselor credibility.

Used a 3?×?2?×?2 factorial design to study the effects of S acculturation (low, medium, or high), counselor ethnicity (Anglo-American or Mexican-American), and counseling style (directive or nondirective) on Mexican-American Ss' perceptions of and willingness to see a counselor. Within acculturation levels, Ss were randomly assigned to view stimulus materials (in which the counselor's ethnicity was varied) and to listen to tape recordings of a simulated counseling session (in which the counseling style was varied). No evidence was found of an acculturation effect for any dependent variable. However, Ss gave higher credibility ratings and were more willing to see a counselor who was Mexican American for personal, academic, and vocational concerns. Also, more positive ratings were given to the directive counseling style than the nondirective counseling style. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)