The purpose of this research was to develop and test a theoretical model that explains how gender, as a status characteristic, influences behavior in initial therapy interviews. Specifically, expectancy states associated with the client's gender and gender self-concept and with the gender of the therapist, were conceptualized as influencing the client's expectations for self-disclosure. Also, expectancy states associated with the client's gender were conceptualized as influencing the therapist's expectations for client disclosure. Both the client's and therapist's expectations were hypothesized to influence the client's disclosures in an initial interview. A status expectancy states approach (Berger et al., 1977) provided the framework for this model. / Each of fifty-six therapy clients was seen for an initial interview by one of sixteen therapists. The expectations of the clients and therapists for client self-disclosure were assessed before the interviews. Actual client disclosure for the first five minutes and for a random two-minute segment from the second half of each interview was rated by judges who listened to audio tapes and read transcripts of the interviews. Two dimensions of client self-disclosure were rated: depth or intimacy of disclosure and affective manner of disclosure (ratio of affective self-references to total references). / It was hypothesized that: (1) the greater the clients' expectations for disclosure, as well as, (2) the greater the therapists' expectations for client disclosure, the greater the actual client disclosure; (3) female clients expect to disclose more, (4) therapists expect them to disclose more, and indeed (5) they disclose more, than male clients; the relationship between clients' femininity and (6) expectations for disclosure, as well as, (7) actual disclosure, is positive, while the relationship between clients' masculinity and (8) expectations for disclosure, as well as, (9) actual disclosure, is negative; (10) clients expect to disclose more, and indeed, (11) they disclose more, to female therapists than to male therapists; and when expectations for disclosure are controlled, the relationships between actual disclosure and (12) clients' gender, (13) therapists' gender, as well as, (14) clients' femininity and (15) masculinity, will diminish. / The data do not support (1), (2), (3), (7), (8), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), and (15); whereas the data do support (4). (5) is supported by the data for the first five minutes of the interviews only; (6) is supported for female clients only; and (9) is supported for female clients for the first three minutes only. / In addition, the influence of previous therapy experience on clients' expected and actual disclosure was analyzed. Generally, the results do not support either of the expectancy states models as conceptualized in this research. Theoretical and clinical implications were discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-10, Section: B, page: 3906. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74334 |
| Contributors | WHITENTON, JOSEPH BURTON, JR., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 135 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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