Counselor reputation and previous performance as an influence upon counselee interaction and attitude in a group experience

COUNSELOR REPUTATION AND PREVIOUS PERFORMANCE AS AN INFLUENCE UPON COUNSELEE INTERACTION AND ATTITUDE IN A GROUP EXPERIENCE Janice Lee HARRIS, Ed.D. The College of William and Mary in Virginia, 1973 Chairman: Curtis H. O'Shell The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of counselor reputation and previous performance upon counselee inter­ action and attitude concerning a group counseling experience. To measure the consequences of positive and negative communications concerning counselor reputation, dissimilar verbal labels were introduced to groups prior to similar counseling experiences. It was suggested that labels may affect cue-producing responses which, in turn, affect emotional reactions to labeled stimuli patterns. According to the hypothesis of acquired distinctiveness of cues, dissimilar labels applied to similar conditions should increase the possibility of discriminatory responses. The students randomly drawn from a junior high school population consisted of 54 males and 54 females. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of nine groups of equal numbers and sexes. One of three treatments was randomly assigned to each group. Treatments, provided by a confederate peer, consisted of positivelabeled reputation counseling, negative-labeled reputation counseling, and the absence of labels. Three counselors, who were unaware of treatment labels, were randomly assigned to three groups representing each kind of treatment. Each group participated in a single, 30minute counseling session. Independent scoring of the nine, audio-taped counseling protocols was implemented by three judges according to the revised Bales' Interaction Process Analysis (IPA). Pearson's coefficient of correlation was computed for nine combinations of judges' composite scores for counselors, male counselees, and female counselees. Interjudge reliability was deemed adequate for the study. Frequency counts of counselor and counselee interaction for the 12 IPA categories and a composite category were analyzed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). ANOVA was computed for each item of a five-item counselee attitude questionnaire. Least significant difference tests were computed. The following results were found to be statistically significant at the . 05 level or better: a. For all IPA categories except for 9 and 10, there were verbal differences among counselors for groups receiving positive and negative labels. b. Compared to male counselees, female counselees indicated a more frequent desire to participate in other counseling groups. c. Groups who heard negative labels engaged in more frequent interaction than did positive-or no-label groups. Under the influence of negative labels, verbal interaction was more frequent for males than for females. d. Dramatization, agreement, giving suggestion, and giving and asking for opinion differed among groups according to counselor effect. e. Groups who heard no labels provided information more frequently than did negative treatment groups. f. Negative treatment groups asked for information more frequently than did positive treatment groups. Male counselees asked for information more frequently than did females. g. Regardless of sex, negative-labeled groups displayed greater tension and more unfriendliness than did positiveor no-label groups. The most consistent finding was that verbal labeling of counselor reputation influenced certain overt counselor and counselee behavior. In general, client attitude was not influenced by the manner of labeling. Acknowledgments This investigation has been conducted with a keen awareness of the contributions of many individuals. There is a special indebtedness to family members and personal friends who have provided understanding and encouragement in generous amounts. Thanks are extended to the investigator's doctoral committee, especially to the Chairman, Professor Curtis H. O'Shell, who has been both friend and advisor. Appreciation is also extended to the Norfolk City School System and especially to Dr. Norman Holthouse, Director of Research; Dr. Rita Holthouse, Director of Guidance; Mr. Donald Beamon, Principal; and the students, faculty, and staff of Blair Junior High School whose cooperation and assistance made the research proposal a reality. These citations are, by necessity, a brief and incomplete acknowledgment of indebtedness. To identify all individuals who have contributed to this effort would be impossible. Nevertheless, it is hoped that each individual has somehow perceived the investigator's sincere gratitude. Table of