Development and validation of the Counselor Response Questionnaire.

A 15-item paper-and-pencil questionnaire measuring effectiveness in the selection of appropriate counselor responses to client statements was developed from a microcounseling orientation. The Counselor Response Questionnaire (CRQ) is intended primarily for measuring beginning counseling skills. The sample included 157 undergraduates in an introductory psychology course, 19 advanced undergraduates and graduate psychology majors with some training in counseling skills, 80 paraprofessional drug-abuse counselors, and 15 doctoral-level counselors and clinical psychologists. The internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and factor structure of the CRQ are discussed, and the discriminant validity of the CRQ is supported by results from a discriminant analysis. Additional evidence of validity is given by the correlation of scores on the CRQ with rankings of paraprofessional counselor trainees on counseling effectiveness and with ratings of responses in a simulated counseling interview. The overall results indicate that the CRQ is a valid and efficient measure of beginning counseling skills. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)