Clinicians are often required to make judgments regarding clients on the basis of relatively limited information. These judgments can have a substantial effect on the client's own self-perception and on the perceptions of others about the client. This study was designed to investigate the effect of demographic information on clinical judgments.A preliminary study was utilized to determine which demographic variables to vary in the demographic combination presented in the case study. A cluster analysis found that undergraduates reported differences in their perceptions of demographic combinations based on the age and socioeconomic status which was included. As only one part of the demographic combination was to be varied, age was selected.In the main study, graduate student clinicians were presented a case study. The gender, race and socioeconomic status of the client presented in the case study remained constant while the age of the client was varied. Half of the students received a case study where the demographic information represented a 74 year old and half received a case study where the demographic information represented a 35 year old. It was hypothesized that graduate student clinicians' ratings would vary based on the age of the client presented.In addition, it was hypothesized that placing demographic information at the beginning of the case study would result in different ratings than when demographic information was placed at the end of the case study. Half of those presented with the 74 year old client demographic information received that information early in the case study and half received that information near the end of the case study. The same manipulation was made for those presented with the demographic information representative of the 35 year old client.It was also hypothesized that those without demographic information would rate clients differently than those with demographic information. None of the hypotheses were supported; however, an effect for the time of rating was found. Later ratings were found to be more lenient than earlier ratings. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179295 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Overstreet, Belinda G. |
| Contributors | White, Michael J. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | viii, 95 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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