One purpose of this study was to investigate what personality and demographic characteristics of counselor-trainees would predict counselor effectiveness, and therefore could be considered as valid selection criteria for prospective counselor-trainees. Eight doctoral students in counseling were trained to use an established research instrument, The Carkhuff-Berenson Scales. Their mean ratings on the five scales measuring Empathic Understanding; Concreteness; Respect; Facilitative Genuineness and Gross Ratings of Facilitative Interpersonal Functioning served as one criterion of counselor effectiveness. Practicum supervisors' ratings on a relatively new instrument, the Counselor Evaluation Rating Scale (CERS) served as another criteria. The CERS provided three effectiveness scores--counseling, supervision and a cumulative score. Another purpose of the study was to validate the CERS as a measure of counselor effectiveness by investigating the degree of association and agreement between CERS ratings and Carkhuff-Berenson Scale ratings.The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS), Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) and Rokeach Dogmatism Scale, used as personality measures, were administered to 41 counselor-trainees in practicum the first week of the quarter. Raters rated all trainees on three, three-minute excerpts from an audiotape made with a client the eighth week of practicum. Supervisors completed the CERS, indicated the grade earned and their recommendation for a counseling position for each counselor-trainee in their practicum at the end of the quarter.An earlier study (Murphy, 1971) was replicated to investigate whether similar counselor-trainee characteristics would predict effectiveness for a new population. Following Murphy's procedures, five multiple regression equations were computed separately for the EPPS and the 16 PF when the Carkhuff-Berenson Scale scores were the criteria. Best subtest predictors were chosen that predicted at least two percent of the variation on the criterion. Little or no agreement was found between the findings of Murphy and the findings of the present study. Using a Pearson Product Moment correlation, both studies found that the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale failed to predict with statistical significance effectiveness on any of the Carkhuff-Berenson Scales.For questions not concerned with replication, a best set of predictors was selected from all possible predictors. All predictors were considered simultaneously in a multiple regression equation for each criterion. Care was taken to eliminate predictors which were not significant at each step of the regression.When the Carkhuff-Berenson Scale scores were the criteria of effectiveness, the predictive characteristics and the scales they predicted were:1. fewer years of teaching experience--empathy, genuineness, concreteness and gross ratings.2. absence of teaching experience--respect.3. lower needs for achievement (EPPS-ach)--empathy, genuineness, and concreteness.4. more imaginativeness (16 PF - M)--genuineness and concreteness.5. sex of the counselor-trainee (female)--empathy, respect, and gross facilitativeness.When the three CERS scores were the criteria of effectiveness, the predictive characteristics and the scales they predicted were:1. fewer years of teaching experience--all three effectiveness scales.2. lower needs for endurance (EPPS - end)--effectiveness in counseling.3. more self-sufficiency, resourcefulness (16 PF Q2)-effectiveness in counseling.4. more autonomy (EPPS - aut)--effectiveness in supervision and cumulative ratings.5. more self-assurance, confidence (16 PF - 0)--all three effectiveness scales.When a "Yes" recommendation for a counseling position was the criterion, the following characteristics predicted effectiveness:1. fewer years of teaching experience.2. more confidence and self-assurance (16 PF - 0).When the grade earned in practicum was the criterion, the following characteristics predicted effectiveness:1. fewer years of teaching experience.2. more confidence and self-assurance (16 PF - 0). 3. more self-sufficiency and resourcefulness (16 PF Q2).Using a Pearson Product Moment Correlation the degree of association between the ratings on the Carkhuff-Berenson Scales and CERS was found not to be high.Using a K statistic the degree of agreement between the ratings on the Carkhuff-Berenson Scales and CERS was found to be greater than chance, but only moderately so.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179368 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Palmer, Cathy Janene |
| Contributors | Hayes, Robert E. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | ix, 231 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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