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)     

The beauty of counseling: Effects of counselor physical attractiveness and self-disclosures on perceptions of counselor behavior.

Investigated influences of the physical attractiveness and self-disclosures of nonprofessional counselors in initial counseling interviews. In a 3–2 factorial design, 144 female undergraduates were exposed to audiotaped interviews in which an attractive, unattractive, or physically unidentified male counselor revealed no self-information or expressed an equal and moderate number of demographic or personal similarity self-disclosures. Consistent with previous research evidence, nondisclosing, unattractive counselors elicited less desirable behavioral attributions (including perceived regard, empathy, and genuineness determined by the Relationship Inventory) and counseling expectations than attractive counselors. Demographic and personal disclosures successfully eliminated these attractiveness effects for attribution variables. Additive effects of attractiveness and disclosure were observed for nearly all the expectancy variables. Experimental and applied implications are discussed with regard to the literature on physical attractiveness and counselor disclosure. (52 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of client affective self-disclosure and counselor experience on counselor verbal behavior and perceptions.

60 untrained, trained, and professional counselors (average age 20 yrs, 26 yrs, and 38 yrs, respectively) responded to an audio presentation of client affective self-disclosures consisting of either high or low intimacy content. Quality and type of response were measured. Ss then completed a reaction form to assess their clinical impressions of the client. No intimacy effects were found. In contrast, consistent differences for experience occurred. Results indicate that untrained Ss made lower quality responses than either trained or professional Ss with no differences between professionals and counselors-in-training. In terms of response type, untrained Ss relied on direct guidance and silence; trained Ss preferred reflection, and professionals utilized silence, open question, and reflection. When silence as an initial response was removed from consideration, the preferred mode of responding for untrained and trained Ss was strengthened. In contrast, professionals utilized 2 responses (reflection and open question) equally. Finally, the counselor reaction data indicated that untrained Ss had less liking for the client as a person and viewed the client as less motivated to change than trained or professional Ss. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of nonprofessional counselors' physical attractiveness and sex on perceptions of counselor behavior.

Previous research has suggested that the physical attractiveness of male counselors differentially affects observers' reactions to brief counselor self-introductions. 96 female undergraduates were exposed to audiotaped counseling interviews conducted by nonprofessional counselors of both sexes who were physically anonymous or were identified photographically as physically attractive or unattractive. Dependent measures including the Relationship Inventory were selected on the basis of their relevance to current counseling theory and research and included counselor trait attributions, perceived facilitative conditions, motivations for continuing counseling, and counseling outcome expectations for a variety of presenting problems. Multivariate analysis of the data produced consistent findings which were unmitigated by counselor sex. The counseling behaviors of unattractive counselors were judged to reflect less desirable traits and conditions and engendered weaker commitment and less optimistic expectations than did identical behaviors attributed to physically attractive or anonymous counselors. Conclusions are discussed in terms of counseling conditions which might potentiate or eliminate these initial effects of counselor physical attractiveness. (39 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)     

Male and female counselor and client perceptions of four levels of counselor touch.

60 male and 60 female counselors (aged 20–63 yrs) and 60 male and 60 female clients (aged 19–65 yrs) from the outpatient mental health clinic of a military hospital each evaluated a videotaped vignette of a counselor–client interaction with 1 of 4 counselor touch conditions depicted: no touch, touch of client's hand, touch of client's shoulder, semi-embrace. Dependent measures were a counselor rating form and a personal attribute inventory. Three-way multivariate analyses of variance (treatment?×?S gender?×?S's client vs counselor status) yielded no significant interactions. However, significance was obtained for the main effects of treatment and S's client vs counselor status. Subsequent analyses revealed that the counselor in the semi-embrace condition was perceived as less trustworthy than those in any of the other conditions. Also, clients perceived the videotaped counselor as more expert, attractive, and trustworthy than did counselors. (14 ref) (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)     

Client perceptions of the therapeutic relationship as a function of client and counselor age.

32 women pseudoclients from each of 2 age groups (25–35 and 60–70 yrs) met with a woman crisis counselor from 1 of the 2 age groups for a 50-min face-to-face interview. Results suggest that age of clients and counselors did not exert a significant influence on clients' perceptions of counselor facilitative skills (e.g., empathy, congruence, regard) or client satisfaction with the therapeutic interview. Age similarity between the client and counselor did not necessarily improve the working alliance. Clients of a specific age group view some counselors of a particular age as more facilitative and empathic than other counselors of that same age. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of client aphasia on client evaluation and counselor behavior.

Examined whether differences exist in counselor behaviors toward and evaluation of an aphasic client in comparison to a nonaphasic client and whether such differences are related to counselor training. 40 counseling students were divided into 2 groups of 20, based on level of counselor training. 10 Ss in each group counseled individually with an aphasic-speaking client for 10 min, and the remaining 10 in each group counseled with the same client as a nonaphasic speaker. Counselor behaviors and evaluations of the confederate client were compared. Results demonstrate that irrespective of training, client aphasic speech significantly affected counselor behavior and evaluation of the client. (25 ref) (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)     

Influence of client diagnosis--cancer--on counselor decisions.

Numerous authorities have pointed to the fear of cancer among professionals as a stumbling block to service delivery for cancer patients. Yet systematic efforts to study the parameters and ramifications of this impact on health-care delivery personnel are few. In this study, 34 practicing counselors were asked to complete a series of tasks related to counseling and service delivery with the cancer patient. Ss were administered Form O of the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale to assess their attitudes toward individuals with 4 disease-related disabilities (i.e. renal failure, heart disease, cancer, and paraplegia). Results strongly support general conclusions in the literature that counselors are likely to provide less counseling and case services to cancer patients than to patients with other equally devastating disease-related disabilities. A relationship was demonstrated between case service, attitudes toward the cancer patient, and personal fear of cancer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of client race on counselors' assessment of case materials.

Determined whether racial labels contribute to counselors' assessments of clients. 86 graduate students from 6 counseling programs read and assessed 8 intake case summaries. Four summaries were used in the computation of data. For 1 group of counselors, the clients in those 4 summaries were labeled Black, for a 2nd group they were labeled White, and for a 3rd group there were no racial labels. The counselors rated the cases on 11 positive-to-negative dimensions. Analysis of counselors' ratings summed across cases indicated that Black-labeled cases were rated significantly more positive than those labeled White or with no label. A stepwise multiple regression using the no-label condition as a relative reference point indicated that in the final regression equation, Black-labeled cases contributed more to the prediction of counselors' ratings than level of counseling experience, level of physical social distance to minorities, or prior contact with minorities. Counselors seemingly overcompensated to avoid negative professional bias. The reverse biases they demonstrated are discussed as well as the implications for counseling minorities. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of counselor facilitative level on client suggestibility.

Investigated the effects of the level of counselor facilitation on client suggestibility. 48 university students were individually tested for suggestibility in 1 of 3 conditions. In the experimental conditions, Ss interacted with an E rated as either high or low on a scale of empathy and were then administered the Barber Suggestibility Scale. In the control condition, Ss were simply administered the test. Results support the hypothesis that Ss of higher rated Es would demonstrate more suggestibility than Ss of lower rated Es. Results do not support the hypothesis that S interaction with lower rated Es would elicit less suggestibility than a no-interaction control. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of cognitive style and counselor–client compatibility on client growth.

Tests of 2 cognitive style dimensions (serialism–holism and field dependence–independence; measured by the Gandlemuller Test and the Group Embedded Figures Test, respectively) were administered to 60 counselor trainees in graduate clinical and counseling psychology programs and 60 volunteer clients drawn from a university-level applied psychology course. 32 counselor–client pairs matched or mismatched on the 2 dimensions were formed. Counselor and client pairs engaged in 2 50-min therapy sessions that focused on client self-enhancement. In independent rating sessions, matching effects for field dependence–independence were obtained in clients' subjective ratings of improvement in self-exploration skills and in clients' and counselors' subjective ratings of the ease of relating with each other. Implications and applications for achieving maximum counselor–client compatibility in a person–environment interaction model are discussed. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal influence process in real-life counseling: Investigating client perceptions, counselor experience level, and counselor power over time.

Examined the interpersonal influence process within an actual counseling context over an average of 8 sessions. Counselors were either beginning or advanced practicum students or doctoral interns (n?=?27); clients were 31 students who sought counseling at a university center. Before and after counseling Ss completed the Counselor Rating Form, the Expectations about Counseling measure, and the Counselor Perceptions Questionnaire. Results indicate that (a) the actual counselor experience level did not affect client perceptions of the counselor; (b) perceived counselor expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness changed over time, but not in the same direction across counselors; (c) different levels of client need did not affect clients' perceptions of counselor characteristics; and (d) counselors rated as highly attractive indicated they had more therapeutic power over clients than counselors rated as moderately attractive. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of inconsistent verbal–nonverbal communication and counselor response mode on client estimate of counselor regard and effectiveness.

The relative impact of the nonverbal channel during inconsistent verbal–nonverbal communication of counselor regard to client was investigated. 120 undergraduates, assigned to 12 independent groups, viewed videotapes of an analog counseling session that portrayed the various counselor message–response orientation conditions. After viewing the tapes, the Ss rated the counselor on level of counselor regard for client and on counselor effectiveness. Although previous research indicated the dominance of the nonverbal (NV) component of an inconsistent message, the results do not confirm the overall functional superordinancy of the NV channel across all levels of response orientation. An interactive relationship was found, with the NV channel functioning with relatively more impact on the confrontive level of orientation. This finding is considered in terms of the differential communication decoding process and is explained on the basis of stress-induced reduction of cue utilization. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial similarity of client and counselor and client satisfaction with counseling.

Client evaluations of a precollege counseling interview were obtained for 13 black and 13 white students counseled by 3 experienced black counselors and 8 experienced white counselors. Black students tended to react more favorably to black and to white counselors than did white students. In general, racial similarity of client and counselor was not an important factor in these counseling interviews. The hypothesis that counselors are differentially effective in counseling students of a different racial background than their own lacks support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)