This study investigated the interaction between test feedback style (interactive and delivered) and a client’s information processing style (experiential and rational) based on Cognitive Experiential Self-Theory (CEST) with a sample comprised of 39 clients from a university outpatient clinic and a community outpatient clinic in a midsized, midwestern city. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: interactive test feedback, delivered test feedback, and examiner attention control group. Participants attended three sessions (initial session, feedback session, follow-up session) with a doctoral-level examiner. Participants in the two experimental groups (interactive and delivered feedback) received test feedback on their MMPI-2 profiles based on their assigned feedback condition while participants in the control group were not provided with feedback until after the conclusion of the study. The instruments assessing client response to treatment over time consisted of process-oriented (client’s perception of counselor and session) and outcome-oriented (symptomatology and self-esteem) measures. The results of two MANCOVAs (one for process and one for outcome variables) found no difference between participants who received test feedback and the control group. Partial support was found for the attribute by treatment interactions. There was some support for the matching effect of experiential information processing and interactive test feedback. This interaction was significant for self-esteem; individuals with higher levels of experiential information processing who received interactive feedback reported higher levels of self-esteem over time than those participants receiving delivered feedback or examiner attention only. The interaction of experiential information processing and treatment group was also significant for symptomatic distress; however, this interaction was opposite to the hypothesized direction. A matching effect for rational information processing and delivered test feedback was not supported. Finally, the three-way interaction of test feedback style, information processing style, and time was not significant for the process- or outcome-oriented benefits. The current study is one of the first studies to examine personality feedback with a community outpatient population. The lack of support for the benefits of personality feedback is noteworthy. In part, the results may be explained by low statistical power. Further examination of beta weights and directions of effects, however, suggest that even with a larger sample support for the benefits of personality feedback may not be found. These findings suggest caution should be exercised in generalizing previous results to a more severely impaired community population. Other limitations are discussed and implication for theory, research, and practice are provided. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Both popular clinical folklore and the findings of empirical research have suggested a relationship between cognitive rigidity and suicidal behavior. Specifically, it has been hypothesized that individuals deficient in the capacity for flexible thought become increasingly hopelessness and suicidal in the face of high levels of environmental stress. That is, these persons are thought to be cognitively unprepared to deal with negative life events. The present study sought to evaluate this model with hospitalized psychiatric patients placed on suicidal precautions status by hospital staff. Suicidal and non-suicidal control subjects completed measures of life stress, depression, cognitive rigidity, hopelessness, and suicidal intent. In addition, these subject also completed two measures of interpersonal problem-solving. Suicidal subjects were found to report higher levels of negative life stress in the previous year than members of the control group. Suicidal subjects were also significantly more cognitively rigid and the rigidity appears to have been reflected in their performance on the interpersonal problem-solving measures. Overall, suicidal subjects were observed to be poorer problem-solvers than the non-suicidal control group members on both measures of interpersonal problem-solving skills. More specific analyses showed that these subjects were not able to generate as many potential solutions to interpersonal problems from their own lives and when asked to evaluate these solutions, the suicidal subjects tended to rate them more negatively than did the control subjects. Suicidal subjects were also less likely than control subjects to employ these alternatives when subsequently attempting to solve the presented problem. Additionally, the suicidal subjects tended more often to implement irrelevant solutions. Although the suicidal subjects were significantly more hopeless than the non-suicidal subjects, it appears that this variable contributed independently to the level of suicide intent, rather than resulting from cognitive rigidity and interpersonal problem-solving deficits. Results are interpreted as supporting Beck's (1979) viewpoint that both deficits in problem-solving skills and hopelessness need to be addressed in the treatment of suicidal patients. / Ph. D.