Intensity judgments of emotion words: Implications for counselor training.

Investigated a category system of emotion words used in training beginning counselors to respond appropriately to client emotions. 10 experienced counselors (mean age 45.7 yrs), 32 counseling students (mean age 30.7 yrs), and 38 noncounselors (mean age 25.7 yrs) performed a free sort of 45 emotion words selected from categories labeled "depressed," "fearful," and "angry" proposed by D. C. Hammond et al (1977). Free sorts for each group of Ss were compared with the categories proposed by Hammond et al and with each other by means of quadratic assignment. Empirically derived intensity categories used by the Ss in each group also were identified. Comparisons were statistically significant, suggesting that Ss' categories were similar to the hypothesized categories. The categories used by each group, however, were more similar to each other than to the hypothesized categories. Fewer than 20% of the words were classified reliably across the 4 category systems. Use of the proposed category system in counselor training, therefore, would not be expected to improve counselors' ability to accurately identify and label client emotions. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)