Effects of objective evidence of expertness and nonverbal behavior on client-perceived expertness.

Studied the effects of objective evidence of specialized training and expert nonverbal behaviors in a videotaped counseling analog setting. 80 female undergraduates viewed videotapes of a standardized counseling interaction between a professional counselor and a confederate client and then rated the counselor on a credibility checklist. Results of the 2-factor ANOVA indicate that each manipulation significantly affected perceived expertness. The expert nonverbal behavior had the greater effect on Ss' perceptions, and there was no interaction on effects. Implications for counseling practice and research are discussed. (17 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)     

Effects of certain counselor behaviors on perceived expertness and attractiveness.

Examined the effects and the relative contribution of 3 counselor behaviors (nonverbal behavior, jargon, and attire) on perceived expertness and attractiveness. In a factorial design, 120 undergraduates observed an interview with a counselor performing in 1 of 8 combinations of responsive or unresponsive nonverbal behavior, professional or layman's jargon, and formal or casual attire. Ss rated the perceived expertness and attractiveness of the counselor using the Counselor Rating Form. ANOVAs revealed that all 3 independent variables significantly affected the 2 rated dimensions. Nonverbal behavior accounted for most of the variance and differentially affected ratings of expertness and attractiveness, while jargon and attire were much inferior in their relative contribution to Ss' perceptions. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of ethnic, sex, and attitude similarity on counselor credibility.

Surveyed 63 male and 64 female Mexican-American community college students to determine their attitude toward acculturation. Ss were then randomly assigned to receive written material describing the sex, ethnicity, and attitude toward acculturation of a counselor they subsequently heard in a tape-recorded excerpt of a counseling session. After reading the written introduction and listening to the counseling excerpt, Ss rated the counselor's credibility and attractiveness on the Counselor-Effectiveness Rating Scale (CERS). A repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between attitude similarity and the repeated factor (CERS subscales). Post hoc analyses indicated that Ss' ratings of their willingness to see the counselor were significantly lower than other credibility ratings for those Ss who were exposed to a counselor with a dissimilar attitude. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and credibility introduction effects on perceived counselor characteristics.

Explored the effects of counselor gender, participant gender, and high or low credibility introduction on 8th graders' perceptions of counselor expertness, attractiveness, trustworthiness, and confidence in the counselor. 240 male and female Ss listened to an audiotape of a high or low credibility introduction and to a counseling session with a male or female counselor and then completed a modified Counselor Rating Form and the Help with Specific Problems Scale. Multivariate and univariate ANOVAs yielded significant main effects for Participant Gender and Credibility Introduction and a significant interaction effect for Counselor Gender?×?Credibility Introduction. Results are compared with studies of adult Ss, and a new scheme for classifying types of credibility cues is proposed. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of diplomas, awards, and counselor sex on perceived expertness.

Employed a 2 * 2 factorial design in a counseling-analog investigation to evaluate the effects of environmental cues of competence (such as diplomas and awards) and the sex of the counselor on perceived expertness. 64 undergraduates were interviewed and subsequently completed a semantic-differential questionnaire which contained a 6-item scale of perceived expertness. Results indicate that diplomas and awards significantly influenced the S's initial perception of counselor expertness. Contrary to previous research, the sex of the counselor did not influence the initial perceptions of the Ss. It is suggested that further research is needed on the duration of the effects of the diplomas, the sex of the counselor, and the existence of such effects in additional populations and settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of inconsistency between counselor verbal and nonverbal behavior on perceptions of counselor attributes.

Investigated the effects of inconsistency between a counselor's verbal and nonverbal behaviors on perceptions of the counselor as empathic, genuine, and expert and on willingness to seek the counselor's help. 120 undergraduate women, randomly assigned to 4 groups, viewed 1 of 4 8-min videotaped role plays of a counseling session. Each videotape demonstrated a combination of the counselor's responsive and unresponsive verbal statements and nonverbal behaviors. Ss rated the counselor on empathy, genuineness, expertness, and willingness to seek the counselor's help for themselves and others. Consistent with prior research, results indicate that nonverbal behavior seemed to increase the impact of a congruent verbal message and to alter an accompanying incongruent verbal message in the direction of the nonverbal cues. The significance of results for communication theory is discussed. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual preference similarity, attitude similarity, and perceived counseling credibility and attractiveness.

84 17–66 yr old homosexual men identified as holding either an activist or a nonactivist stance on gay advocacy rated the counselor's credibility and attractiveness on the Counselor Rating Form after listening to an audiotape-recorded segment of a counseling interview between a male counselor and a male client expressing sexual preference concerns. Ss heard the same counseling interaction except for counselor responses to 2 client questions, one related to counselor sexual preference and one related to counselor stance on gay advocacy. The counselor was rated more Expert, Trustworthy, and Attractive when he stated a sexual preference for men than when he stated a sexual preference for women or refrained from stating a sexual preference. Attractiveness ratings were a function of attitude similarity between the counselor portrayed on the tape recording and Ss in the study. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of counselor response behavior on clients' impressions during vocational counseling.

We examined the effects of four counselor response types—self-disclosure, self-involving, empathy, and open question—on subjects' impressions of the counselor during vocational counseling. A total of 201 undergraduate students viewed videotapes of an initial vocational counseling interview, in which the counselor used either self-disclosure, self-involving, empathy, or open-question statements. Using a 2 (counselor sex)?×?2 (client sex)?×?4 (response type) design, a three-way interaction was found in regard to counselor social influence. However, for the most part, a general lack of significance was found across the dependent measures. These results are interpreted relative to vocational counseling and then compared to the literature on personal–social counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proxemic behavior as a function of inconsistent verbal and nonverbal messages.

An analog study with 40 male and 40 female undergraduates examined the effects of inconsistencies between a counselor's verbal and nonverbal behaviors on client proxemic behavior and ratings of counselor genuineness. Nonverbal behaviors included eye contact, trunk lean, body orientation, and leg positioning. Verbal content reflected either high or low levels of empathic understanding. Ss role-played a standard complaint with a confederate male counselor who communicated either contradictory or consistent verbal and nonverbal messages. Results indicate that inconsistent messages were associated with greater interpersonal distances, especially when the nonverbal messages were negative and the verbal messages were positive. Inconsistent messages also resulted in lower ratings of counselor genuineness. Results support the client-centered definition of congruence and further add to the evidence that spacing behavior is a direct reflection of one's interpersonal attraction. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluative reaction to interpersonal touch in a counseling interview.

Investigated the effects of the use of touch gestures by counselors on client evaluative responses to the counseling experience, using a 2 (touch vs no touch)?×?2 (male vs female client)?×?2 (male vs female counselor) between-Ss design. Clients who were touched evaluated the counseling experience more positively than no-touch control Ss. However, the magnitude of the effect of touch was affected by the sex composition of the counseling dyad, with stronger effects occurring when clients were touched by an opposite-sex counselor. Results are discussed in terms of conceptual implications and with respect to applied relevance for therapeutic practice and the training of counselors. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural mistrust and its effects on expectational variables in Black client-White counselor relationships.

In a previous analog study by C. E. Watkins and F. Terrell (see record 1988-36489-001), it was found that highly mistrustful Blacks assigned to White rather than to Black counselors generally had lower expectations of counseling. To extend this earlier study, we examined the effects of cultural mistrust on Blacks' expectations about counselor credibility and counselor competence and their willingness to see someone like the described counselor for counseling. In a 2 (subject sex)?×?2 (subject mistrust level)?×?2 (counselor race) factorial design, subject mistrust level and counselor race interacted significantly on several dependent variables. In comparison to Blacks low on mistrust, highly mistrustful Blacks regarded the White counselor as less credible and less able to help them with four problem areas: general anxiety, shyness, inferiority feelings, and dating difficulties. The implications of the findings of Black client–White counselor relationships are discussed, and the further need for counselors to be aware of the cultural mistrust issue is emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of counselor disability status on disabled subjects' perceptions of counselor attractiveness and expertness.

Examined the influence of client–counselor group membership similarity, counselor reputational cues, and counselor attending behavior on disabled Ss' perceptions of counselor's attractiveness and expertness. 18–53 yr old physically disabled Ss viewed a series of vignettes portraying a counselor–client interaction. After viewing each vignette, Ss rated counselor expertness and attractiveness on subscales of the Counselor Rating Form. No main effect was found for group membership similarity or expertness on either ratings of attractiveness or expertness. However, a significant main effect was found for Counselor Attending Behavior on ratings of expertness and attractiveness. In addition, a significant 2-way interaction between Counselor Attending Behavior and Counselor Disability Status was found for both ratings. Results do not support the belief that client–counselor group membership similarity favorably influences client perceptions of counselor expertness or attractiveness. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validation of counselor social reinforcement and persuasion scales.

Assessed the validity of V. M. Packwood and C. A. Parker's (see record 1973-21578-001) counselor social reinforcement and persuasion scales, which are based on an interaction model that rates the client response and the counselor behavior. Ss were 2 counselors, 1 trained in reinforcing counseling and the other trained in persuasive counseling. 3 3-min taped segments randomly selected from 8 interviews by each S were divided into client-counselor-client statement units and reliably rated and rerated by 6 judges. The mean rating for the 2 Ss on each scale was significantly different. Other evidence of the scales' validity and the appropriateness of the interaction model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Source credibility and perceived expertness of testimony in a simulated child-custody case.

Used a 2?×?2?×?4?×?2 completely randomized, between-S factorial design in a simulated child custody hearing to evaluate the effects of the sex of the S, sex of the witness, experience level of the witness, and witness status (psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, social worker, neighbor) on perceived expertness. 192 male and 192 female undergraduates listened to an audiotape of simulated testimony in a child custody case and subsequently completed a semantic-differential questionnaire embedded with items to evaluate perceived expertise of a source. Ss were assigned to different groups based on the version of testimony heard. Results indicate that experience level and witness status significantly influenced Ss' evaluations of witness expertise. Female Ss rated all witnesses higher in expertness, and there was a trend that suggested female witnesses may be judged as more expert. Results are discussed in reference to implicit notions that people may have of mental health professionals involved in court proceedings and the possible ramifications of the involvement of such professionals in legal matters. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)