Perceived counselor characteristics, client expectations, and client satisfaction with counseling.

Examined (a) the relationship between perceived counselor expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness and client satisfaction; (b) the relationships between specific client expectations on perceived counselor characteristics and client satisfaction; and (c) the effects of actual counselor experience level on perceived counselor characteristics and client satisfaction. The 55 counselors who participated in the study were either beginning or advancing practicum students, doctoral-level interns, or PhD counselors; clients were 72 students who sought help at a university counseling center. Clients completed an Expectations About Counseling (EAC) questionnaire before entering counseling, as well as the Counseling Evaluation Inventory (CEI) and Counselor Rating Form (CRF) after several weeks of counseling. CRF and CEI were correlated, but EAC scores were not strongly related to the CEI or CRF scores. Actual counselor experience level did not differentially affect CEI or CRF scores. Findings are discussed in terms of several variables (e.g., legitimate power, source variables, and client satisfaction) that may differentially affect the influence process over time. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of disabled counselors' self-disclosures on client perceptions of the counselor.

In a videotaped counseling analog, 2 male counselors each portrayed (a) an obviously disabled counselor in a wheelchair and (b) a not obviously disabled counselor with visual impairment. Within each condition, counselors did or did not make self-disclosures about their disability. Ss were 169 university students, none of whom was disabled or had close friends or relatives who were disabled. Results indicate that counselors in several of the disability conditions were rated as being significantly more expert and attractive than able-bodied counselors. Counselor self-disclosures did not have a clearly negative or positive effect on Ss' perceptions. The hypothesis that awareness of a counselor's disability may enhance client perceptions of his or her credibility is discussed. (32 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)     

Comparative perceptions of counselor behavior: A replication and extension.

Investigated comparative perceptions of counselor behavior. 40 counseling interviews were rated by 40 16–50 yr old participating clients, 9 counselors (professional staff members), and 5 observers (staff psychologists) along social influence and client-centered dimensions at a Midwestern community mental health center. The Counselor Rating Form (CRF) and Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory ere used to yield measures of these dimensions. Results support the hypothesis that clients would rate their counselors highest on each variable relative to counselor self-ratings and observers' ratings of counselors. Correlational analyses revealed a high degree of relationship among the social influence and client-centered dimensions for client and observer ratings. There was greater agreement between clients and observers than between clients and counselors or counselors and observers on 4 dimensions. Data suggest the existence of a common factor of perceived counselor behavior. The utility of the social influence constructs as measured by the CRF was supported, and this area of study appears to have direct relevance to research in applied professional settings. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Session evaluation and recall of important events as a function of counselor experience.

Session evaluation and type of participant-recalled important event were investigated in 25 novice counselor dyads and 9 experienced counselor dyads during 9 sessions of short-term counseling. Counselor experience was the independent variable and session evaluation was the dependent variable. Results based on the Session Evaluation Questionnaire (W. B. Stiles, 1980) showed a significant interaction effect between counselor experience and role of participant (client or counselor) for session depth. Clients also reported an increase in positive affect over the course of counseling. Experienced counselors recalled more important events involving insight, whereas novice counselors recalled more important events involving exploration of feelings or self-critique. The type of important event recalled by clients also changed over the sessions of counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential helpfulness of counselor verbal response modes.

28 counselor–client dyads (analog sample consisting of 15 graduate students and faculty and 28 undergraduates) and 16 client–counselor dyads (counseling sample) rated the helpfulness of particular counselor responses in just-completed counseling sessions, using Interpersonal Process Recall. In the counseling sample, counselors also rated the helpfulness of the same responses. The responses were measured for type of response made by objective raters, clients, and counselors. Interpretations received the highest helpfulness ratings from both client and counselor. Advisements were rated as slightly more helpful than nonadvisements, and questions were rated as slightly less helpful than nonquestions. However, counselor response modes account for only a small proportion of the variance in helpfulness ratings, which points out the need for research on contextual variables and response mode subtypes. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client perception of the counselor and orality.

Since previous research and psychoanalytic theory have demonstrated that orality is related to accurate perception of others, it was predicted that high-oral clients would be more accurate perceivers of their counselors than low-oral clients. A pilot study of 12 clients and graduate-student counselors found a trend in the expected direction; a larger study of 21 Ss using a revised Perception of Counselor Questionnaire confirmed the hypothesis. Accuracy of perceiving the counselor did not improve from the 1st administration of the questionnaire, which followed the 3rd counseling session, to that which followed the termination of counseling. The most accurate perceptions were made by female clients with male counselors. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative effectiveness of six counselor verbal responses.

Examined the effect of 6 counselor verbal responses on clients' verbal behavior and on their perceptions of counselors. The verbal responses were affect, coontent, influencing, advice, open question, and closed question responses. 90 female undergraduates were randomly assigned to 1 of the 6 treatments. Each participant played the role of client in a simulated helping interaction, and afterwards, they completed the Counselor Rating Form. Affect responses were found to be the most desirable from both the counselors' and clients' perspectives, and closed questions were least desirable. Content responses and open questions were also highly effective in eliciting desirable client behavior. Advice responses were rated highly by clients but were not effective in eliciting desirable client behavior. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Black students' counselor preference and attitudes toward counseling center use.

Surveyed 42 female and 33 male Black college students to determine factors related to Black student use of the university counseling center. Counselor preference, sex of client, sex of counselor, race of counselor, and type of problem were analyzed as to their effects on counseling center use. Results indicate that Black clients preferred Black counselors and that the likelihood of taking a problem to the counseling center increased as counselor preference increased. Also, the likelihood of taking a problem to the center was significantly greater if the counselor to be seen was Black rather than White. Client and counselor sex, and type of problem (personal or educational-vocational) had no effect on potential counseling center usage. (20 ref) (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)     

Impressions of counselors as a function of counselor physical attractiveness.

Assessed the effects of counselor physical attractiveness and interactions between attractiveness and counselor and S sex. 40 male and 40 female undergraduates rated their 1st impressions of a counselor and their expectations for counseling outcome on the basis of a photograph of either an attractive or an unattractive person and a brief, audiotaped self-introduction by either a male or a female counseling psychologist. Attractiveness did not show main effects but did interact with sex variables, which did show several main effects. Female counselors, particularly in the attractive condition, received higher ratings than male counselors on several impression variables, and female Ss gave higher ratings on impression variables than did male Ss. Both attractive and unattractive counselors were within the normal range of attractiveness, however. It is suggested that within the natural setting, sex of counselor and client may play a more important role independently and in conjunction with attractiveness than does attractiveness alone in influencing impressions and expectations. (16 ref) (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)     

Perceptions of counselor source characteristics by premature and successful terminators.

Examined 56 premature and 148 successful terminators' perceptions of counselor source characteristics and satisfaction with counseling services at a university counseling center. S-completed measures included the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire and a counselor rating form. Results indicate that Ss who terminated prematurely were less satisfied with counseling services that they received and viewed their counselors as less expert, attractive, and trustworthy than did Ss who terminated successfully. Ss who responded anonymously to the evaluation form viewed the counselors as less attractive and trustworthy and also expressed less satisfaction with counseling than did those who did not respond anonymously. Significant though modest correlations between ratings of source characteristics and client satisfaction were also found. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of perceived etiology attribution similarity on client ratings of counselor credibility.

An experimental design was used to test the hypothesis that clients who perceived their counselors as holding etiology attributions similar to their own would rate their counselors' credibility higher than clients who perceived their counselors as holding dissimilar attributions. 40 undergraduate volunteers participated as clients in counseling role-plays with 11 graduate student counselors. At the end of the 3-session counseling analogue experience, each client was exposed to a mock counselor questionnaire on which the counselor's etiology attributions were manipulated to either agree or disagree with the client's etiology attributions. Results indicated that clients in the similarity of etiology attribution condition rated their counselors to be more credible sources of help than did clients in the dissimilarity of etiology attribution condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Counselor verbal response modes and experienced empathy": Correction to Barkham and Shapiro.

Reports an error in "Counselor verbal response modes and experienced empathy" by Michael Barkham and David A. Shapiro (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1986[Jan], Vol 33[1], 3-10). The second paragraph of the author acknowledgement should have read as follows: We thank Ian Spalding for supervision of the session recordings, Liz Colley for programming and advice on data analysis, Richard Shillcock and Jane Oakhill for response mode coding, and Robert Elliott for comments on a draft. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1986-15306-001.) Client and counselor perceptions of empathy at different stages in the counseling process were examined in relation to the verbal response modes used by counselors in 24 client–counselor dyads. Each of 6 counselors (aged 32–58 yrs) at college counseling centers was studied in counseling with 4 clients, of whom 2 were in initial sessions and 2 were in sessions drawn from ongoing counseling relationships. Clients perceived counselors as showing significantly greater empathy during ongoing than during initial sessions, and counselors perceived themselves as showing significantly greater empathy during initial sessions than did clients rating the same sessions. Clients rated counselors using fewer general advisements as more empathic, whereas counselors who rated themselves more empathic used more explorations and fewer reassurances. At the moment-to-moment level tapped by interpersonal process recall, exploration was the only category strongly associated with both client and counselor experiences of empathic communication in both initial and ongoing sessions. (50 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of counselor intention and anxiety to brief counseling outcome.

Explored the construct validity of counselor intention as conceptualized in the cognitive-mediational paradigm (Martin, 1984). Specifically, we examined the influence of clarity of counselor-stated intention, which is the quality of articulation of counselor statements of intention associated with counseling interventions, and counselor in-session anxiety as mediators of outcome in brief counseling. Counselors, clients, and independent judges rated the quality of counseling sessions. The clarity of counselor-stated intention was related positively to clients' and judges' ratings of counseling outcome. Counselor in-session anxiety was associated negatively with the outcome ratings of the counselors. The implications of these findings for the counselor intention construct and Martin's paradigm are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of client characteristics on initial counselor perceptions.

Analyzed the reactions of 30 professionally employed counselors to a role-played, videotaped intake interview with a potential client by a counselor who was not in view. The Ss assessed the probability that they would elect to counsel the person. They also rated both themselves and the client on A. Barak and M. LaCrosse's (1975) Counselor Rating Form (CRF). Results indicate that the trustworthiness dimension seemed to incorporate those characteristics that most influence initial counselor perceptions. It is suggested that the CRF can be used to obtain counselor as well as client perceptions and that the use of relativistic measures of attributes, that is, the use of scores that reflect the differences between one's own attributes and those of the other, may be a valuable methodological addition to research that uses the CRF. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)