There is a recognized need for counseling in military education. In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in videotape recording in counselor education. The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a videotape-based training program in the military educational environment utilizing Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR), a system of videotaped simulation and self-confrontation in conjunction with didactic presentations.A second purpose was to develop methodology for assessment of the effectiveness of counselor training. Many studies measuring the effectiveness of training methodologies assume behaviors they impart are beneficial to the counselee. The present study explores client outcome rather than counselor behaviors as dependent variables.Subjects consisted of 45 students/counselees at the USAFE NCO Academy, Ramstein, Germany, attending a six-week term at the Academy. These students/counselees were assigned to three treatment groups. Experimental Group One consisted of three counselors who had completed a minimum of five academic counselor training courses. Experimental Group Two and the Control Group consisted of three counselors each with no counselor training. Experimental Groups One and Two were trained utilizing a 50-hour IPR course. The Control Group received no IPR training.Each of the nine counselors was assigned five counselees, according to the NCO Academy's matched-triad procedures. All counselees saw their assigned counselors for a minimum of five, and a maximum of six, one-hour sessions.The study utilized a Posttest-Only Control Group Design. The Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (T-JTA) was utilized to assess counselee traits needing improvement (designated Improvement Areas). For each of the three treatment groups, the principal dependent variable was the sum for all counselees of T-JTA traits on which improvement was necessary. Additionally, for each T-JTA trait, the number of each counselor's counselees whose score fell in the Improvement Area constituted a measure.Ten null hypotheses stated there would be no difference in the number of Improvement Areas among the three groups or in the number of individual traits needing improvement. The data were analyzed by the Kruskall-Wallis test and chi-square statistic for each of the traits. There were no statistically significant differences between any of the groups on any of the dependent measures.The study did not confirm the superiority of counseling performed by IPR-trained counselors on counselee outcomes as measured by the T-JTA Improvement Area. The sample size and time constraints may have contributed to difficulty in obtaining statistically significant results.Recommendations for further research considered extending the time frame for sessions, utilizing a larger sample size and multiple posttests to observe any differences due to time. It was also suggested that a longer counselor training program be utilized.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/180894 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Smith, Richard J. |
| Contributors | Suozzi, Carlotta L. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | xi, 121 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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