Counselor trainees' perceptions of supervisor roles: Two studies testing the dimensionality of supervision.

Two studies were conducted to assess the dimensionality of supervision. The purpose of Study 1 was to identify the salient dimensions of supervision from the counselor trainee's perspective and to determine if dimensions for trainees corresponded to the dimensions found previously for supervisors. In doing so the dimensionality and construct validity of Bernard's (1979) model was examined by using 15 doctoral trainees. For Study 2 Bernard's model was expanded to incorporate the self-supervisor role and was tested in combination with Littrell, Lee-Borden, and Lorenz's (1979) model. Counselor trainees from a master's (n?=?25) and a doctoral (n?=?23) program participated. The three dimensions that emerged in Study 1 and in Study 2 were remarkably consistent in content and label across the two studies. In terms of dimensionality, Bernard's model and the extended model were modestly supported, whereas Littrell et al.'s model received minimal support. Little evidence was found to suggest that trainees from master's and doctoral programs differed at all in terms of their cognitive maps of supervision. Implications and limitations of the studies were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)